A Stick Shift ’86 Mustang Helps Fulfill a Dream to Participate in Hot Rod Drag Week
From a fun stick shift ride at test-and-tune nights, to participating in the first Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive in 2022, this 1986 Ford Mustang and its owner Travis Clark have been through a lot.
Now, they both are getting prepared for the drive and an appearance on Hot Rod Drag Week, starting one week from today.
“Ever since Hot Rod Magazine created Drag Week, I've always wanted to do it,” said Travis. “I wanted the challenge to make a car last a full week of driving and flogging.”
Acquiring the 4-eyed Fox Mustang in 2015, Travis thought it would be a fun car to try out. “I bought this to drop a 302 cubic inch roller motor in, throw a NOS kit on, and go to my local track Gainesville Raceway with friends and abuse it,” he said.
Of course, it led to bigger and badder things, as the Mustang known as Rocky Dennis now packs a 408 cubic inch Cleveland Ford powerplant sporting 10.6.1 compression, a decent sized camshaft, AFD cylinder heads, and CHI intake, all topped by a Holley HP 950 cfm carburetor.
The naturally-aspirated mill sends the power through a Jerico 4 speed manual transmission to the Ford 8.8-inch rear sporting 4.10 gears and a pair of Mickey Thompson tires gets the business hooked up and moving.
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Travis enjoys getting his fill of racing with reach of his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. “I normally do more local races, like the 352 Shootout at Gainesville Raceway, or travel to Orlando Speed World, or SGMP (South Georgia Motorsports Park),” said Travis. “I’ve also been to Street Car Braggin’ Rights in Aiken, South Carolina at Carolina Dragway (The House of Hook).”
But he still had dreams of doing a drag-and-drive event. “Drag Week was always run in the middle of the country,” Travis said. “It’s too far for a W2 employee to have enough time to get there and home.”
Then things changed when Sick Week Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive 2022 was announced. “Tom Bailey created Sick Week in my neck of the woods – Florida,” said Travis. “I didn't even get a ticket because it sold out so fast. But there was Sick Ward, so I got in that. I could do a drag-and-drive event-ish to test my thoughts.”
But once Travis got to Sick Week, he waited around to the end of the tech-in day, and managed to get a spot when several no-shows were discovered. “I'm finally going to do a drag-and-drive!”
“On Sick Week, I was ironman,” Travis continued. “No co-pilot; no one. It was probably better that way; I learned a lot that week. I learned that I could go three days without sleep.”
Despite doing it solo, and lack of sleep, Travis managed to garner a 10.87 average, with a best pass of a 10.58 at 130 mph, and finished top ten in the Stick Shift class.”
Based on that experience, Travis made to decision to participate in Hot Rod Drag Week, which gets underway in one week. “Now, I'll get to do the grandfather of drag-and-drives, Drag Week,” said Travis.
No changes have been made to the Mustang since its Sick Week appearance, other than a refresh of the engine. “My good friend Jimmy Huff does all my motor work,” said Travis. “I'm lucky to be friends with a guy whom I look at kind of like a hero. I have a HUGE respect for him; He wants to do a drag-and-drive event in one of his gassers.”
“I have a friend Brian that is super interested in doing a drag-and-drive with his car when it gets done,” Travis continued. “He’s going to join me for Hot Rod Drag Week this year.”
In preparation for Drag Week, Travis skipped out on Sick Week, but will make amends for that. “I didn't get to do Sick Week this year because my motor was getting freshened up,” said Travis. “But hopefully I'll get in 2024.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of An Image in Time Photography, KWS Images and Travis Clark.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com