This 3,000-HP Mustang Set A World Record, Then Blew A Tire At 228 MPH
Brett LaSala’s twin-turbo Coyote Mustang makes over 3,000 hp, and it goes by the name Snot Rocket, which is about as unserious as the car is fast. At FL2K at Florida’s Bradenton Motorsports Park, LaSala brought it out for only its second event since switching to stick-shift drag racing.
He left Friday with a world record and Sunday with a very different kind of story. The two days in between showed both what this Coyote V8-powered Mustang can do and how quickly things can change at well over 200 mph.
Snot Rocket Ran 6.458 Seconds For A Stick-Shift World Record
LaSala opened FL2K with a 6.458-second pass at 233.44 mph, a new world record for stick-shift cars. The Mustang covered the first 60 feet in 1.207 seconds and hit the eighth mile in 4.350 seconds at 185.72 mph. It then gained another 48 mph on the back half, the kind of top-end charge that makes a timing slip look like a typo.
The car only gained its clutch pedal recently. Snot Rocket previously raced in Limited Drag Radial with an automatic, where it reset the class record with a 3.762-second pass. The series then hit its Coyote combination with a three-part rule change in the middle of a season, banning its lock-up converter and methanol intercooler and adding 300 lbs, so LaSala withdrew from the series.
Its new setup pairs a Grannas Racing ATLAS transmission, based on the Tremec Magnum XL, with a multi-disc clutch. Power comes from a twin-turbo, 302-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) Coyote V8 built by Fast Forward Racing Engines. That leaves the clutch with a very busy job.
LaSala won FL2K at this same track in 2023 with a 6.33 at 224.51 mph, driving Snot Rocket (hilarious name) with an automatic. This year’s stick-shift record came in about a tenth slower, but nearly 9 mph faster at the finish line.
The Left-Rear Tire Let Go At 228 MPH
In Sunday’s eliminations, LaSala lined up against stick-shift front-runner Josh Manning and his Corvette. Near the top end of the track, Snot Rocket’s left-rear 275 radial came apart at 228 mph, and the flailing tread ripped off the quarter panel, door skin, and rear bumper. The Mustang’s left side ended up looking more like a parts donor than a record holder.
The weekend turned around in the 6.54 seconds that run lasted, just two days after the same car had set the world record. LaSala climbed out unhurt and shared his first race-car crash on social media: “Had my first race car crash today,” adding, “Thankfully I am okay.”
Those 275 radials are only about 10.8 inches wide, yet they put more than 3,000 hp onto the track every time LaSala launches. Snot Rocket has made plenty of 200-plus-mph passes over the years, so reaching its first crash only now says a lot about how well-sorted the car is.
What Cut The Tire Remains Unconfirmed
Viewers watching the online broadcast spotted what looks like a small foreign object entering the left-rear tire’s path just before it was cut down. That points toward debris rather than the tire simply giving up under all that power. LaSala hadn’t commented on the cause at the time of writing, so for now the debris theory remains unconfirmed.
If debris turns out to be the culprit, the crash comes down to bad luck rather than a problem with the car or its setup. That would be welcome news for a team that just set a world record with this exact combination. It would also mean the fix is mostly bodywork instead of a rethink of the tire or the setup.
LaSala says the team will do everything in its power to have the car repaired for the World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway, where qualifying begins 31 days after the crash. If they make it, Snot Rocket will arrive in Maryland as the newest stick-shift record holder with a rough Sunday to make up for.
Source: Stick Shift Elite via Facebook, Dragzine
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments