Drag Illustrated Issue 117, January 2017 | Page 129

PHOTO : CHRIS SEARS

the cars in the division have improved exactly a quarter-second in the incredibly brief span of twenty-seven months . Likewise , racers have increased the top end speeds of the class a full thirteen miles per hour in the same duration . In the twenty-first century , no other category in the sport has seen such rapid improvements .

Ziff Hudson Hits Four Seconds Flat on 275 Tires !

Perennial Outlaw 275 standout Ziff Hudson rode an emotional roller coaster when , in the span of a week , his Chevy-powered Mustang went from the precipice of the three-second barrier to a 192 mph fireball during a test session at Orlando SpeedWorld Dragway . Hudson ’ s single turbocharger-equipped 1990 Ford opened with a 4.09 on his own 4.053 Outlaw 275 World Record and then blasted to a 4.010 with a 191.54 mph speed which eclipsed Tim Kincaid ’ s 190.35 mph standard from early 2016 .

On his third pass , however , Hudson was en route to possible history when the 524-inch Chevy pushed out a head gasket and coated the engine bay with oil which ignited as the car crossed the finish line at a staggering 4.006 seconds at a slowing 191.02 mph .

Hudson corralled the Mustang to a safe stop and the fire was extinguished by the OSW Safety Crew . The team quickly retreated to Concord , North Carolina , to rebuild the powerplant and the wounded body panels . Ironically , the incident occurred three years to the day after Ziff became the first 275 racer under 4.5 seconds , ( in his memorable Ford Fairmont ), and four years after David Hance ’ s Mustang recorded the first three-second Outlaw 10.5 pass .

NHRA Pro Stockers Back Under 6.5 Seconds ?

If winter testing is any indication , ( and it almost always is ), NHRA ’ s revamped Pro Stock category may once again be sporting 6.4-second elapsed times closer to the records of 6.45 , ( Jason Line ), and 215.55 mph , ( Erica Enders ), produced in the days of carburetors and hood scoops . While NHRA Pro Stock is one of the few divisions in the Drag Illustrated Top 8 for which performances from test sessions are not eligible for consideration , two different drivers recorded 6.50-second , 213 mph passes in preseason action which bodes well for runs at the NHRA ’ s traditional season-opener at Pomona , California , ( a track which runs nineteen feet downhill ), which should better last season ’ s bests of 6.519 , ( Jason Line ), and 212.83 , ( Greg Anderson ).

While improvements in the fuel injection systems will be responsible for some performance increase , body panels with dramatically better aerodynamics will be the biggest contribution to a more efficient product especially in light of the “ box standard ” rules which maintain aero-parity in Pro Stock .

- BRET KEPNER

OUTLAW DRAG RADIAL ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

OUTLAW DRAG RADIAL ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

X275 ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

X275 ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

PRO EXTREME ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

EXTREME TURBO ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

PRO NITROUS ELIMINATOR QUICKEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

EXTREME PRO STOCK ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

OUTLAW 275 ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

PRO EXTREME ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

EXTREME TURBO ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

PRO NITROUS ELIMINATOR FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )

OUTLAW 10.5 ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( quarter-mile )

OUTLAW 10.5 ELIMINATOR QUICKEST & FASTEST DRIVERS ( eighth-mile )