Anyone who's ever drag-raced knows that there are a ton of different factors that come into play in determining a car's best time on the strip. For drivers that have a specific time as a goal, it can be challenging to get under an exact time, particularly if the car is consistent in its speed and power.
The YouTube channel Drag Racing and Car Stuff shows the driver of a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 attempt to get a time in the 9s on the strip in Florida. Check out the video to see if the driver is successful in getting the desired time out of the Ford sports car.
Shelby GT500 Attempting A Time In The 9s On The Drag Strip
The driver is at the drag strip in Florida but came all the way from Massachusetts with the goal to run a sub-10-second time on the drag strip. The GT500 has a JLT Intake, Coastal Dyno Tune, MS109 racing fuel and Toyo 888Rs installed on the car, all of which factor into the car's time.
On the first trip down the pavement, the Ford GT500 takes on a silver Genesis sedan and the GT500 takes the lead from the start immediately after leaving the starting line. The GT500 has a 10.75-second time and 138.33 mph top speed which is enough to beat the sedan's 12.85-second finish and 111.07 mph top speed.
The video reveals that in the first race, the transmission tune was off. It gets fixed before the second race, in time to make some more passes in an attempt to get the desired time under 10 seconds. The next attempt and the ones following are all solo trips down the strip with the Ford Mustang having no competition. This next time is 10.98 seconds with a 140.14 mph top speed. A second attempt produces a 10.19-second result and 140.14 mph top speed.
More Attempts And The Desired Result For The Shelby GT500
The driver does a good burnout and gets a strong launch off the starting line in the next attempt, coming very close to the goal with an eventual time of 10.01 seconds and a 140.77 mph top speed, remarkably close to the goal of being under 10. The next time is nearly identical, with another 10.01 second finish time and 140.71 mph top speed. The time after is slightly slower, with a 10.02-second top speed and 140.80 mph top speed; the next attempt is another result in the wrong direction with a 10.04-second time and 140.30 mph top speed.
After many unsuccessful but close attempts, the driver finally achieves the desired time after the cameraman filming the rest of the video has already left the strip, thankfully someone else captures the GT500 finish in 9.94 seconds and a 140.21 mph top speed, achieving the initial goal. That time gets followed up by an even better 9.93 second time and 140.07 mph top speed. While the desired result does get delivered, the car's remarkable consistency in speed creates a challenge to get there.