6Speed Rides Along in Formula Drift Pro’s 1,000 HP Roush Mustang

The engine is a Ford Racing crate engine. Specifically, it’s a high-compression Coyote Aluminator. So, 5.0-liters of displacement, 11:1 compression ratio and force-fed up to 19 PSI of boost from a 2.3-liter Roush/TVS supercharger. A Ford Racing ECU controls everything. It’s pretty much what you get out of the box from Ford Racing.

That mega motor is paired to an Andrews A431 4-speed dogbox transmission, usually specified for NASCAR work. Exedy Racing supplied one of their twin-disc clutches, since a twin-disc is pretty much the only way to manage that much power. A carbon fiber driveshaft sends that power to a Ford nine-inch rear end conversion, with a quick-change diff.

ALSO SEE: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 CR Track Tested

Of course, the car itself is no less batshit. Pawlak has been around the Mustang platform for years, experiencing the change from solid rear axle to independent rear suspension, and, according to him, the cars just keep getting better. Although completely changing the rear suspension like that requires starting all over in the tuning department, Pawlak says that they have most of the bugs worked out.

The chassis is seam welded and caged, with lightweight bash bars in place of the standard bumper crash beams. While the bodywork is meant to resemble a Roush Stage 3 (it has the same grilles, splitter, and wing), the car has a bespoke widebody kit. Built by Anderson Composites, the fenders and bumpers are widened and the doors, hood, and trunk are replaced with carbon fiber units. An iWon angle kit and KW competition coilovers do the main work in the suspension. However, the wheels and tires, by comparison, are downright conventional: Falken RT615K+ tires and Forgestar F14 wheels. Just like our street cars, after all.

FAST TIMES: Pro FD driver Justin “JTP” Pawlak (l.) talks cars and competition with 6SpeedOnline editor Jake Stumpf.

Check out our drive and interview with the Formula Drift pro in the exclusive video at the top of the post.

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Jake Stumph

Jake Stumph is a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, and former content editor for Internet Brands Automotive which he joined in 2015. His work has been featured by several other prominent automotive outlets, including Jalopnik and Autobytel.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ohio State University in 2013, then pivoted from covering politics and policy to writing about his automotive adventures, something that, he says, is a lot more fun. Since that time, he has established connections with most of the world's major automakers, as well as other key brands in the automotive industry.

He enjoys track days, drifting, and autocross, at least, when his cars are running right, which is uncommon.

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