Mean Buzzing on a Half Dozen – Russell Grimes and A Uniquely Powered ’66 Mustang Gasser Will Attempt His First Drag and Drive at the Edelbrock Sick Smokies!
There are those that decide to do this a little bit different, even if at first glance it doesn’t appear as such.
Although this 1966 Ford Mustang may appear to be a clean example of a Gasser build upon an initial inspection, the classic Ford hides a few secrets that will be on display as part of the 70-plus Gassers at the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event October 12th through the 19th.
This Mustang is just one of 70-plus GASSERS registered for Sick Smokies Presented by Edelbrock, our final drag and drive of 2025, October 12-19th, 2025! 7 days cruising the South, including Tail Of The Dragon, with over 250 total competitors! Discounted advanced spectator tickets, as well as Sick Ward / Sick Spit Show & Shine entries are available - CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE about Sick Smokies!!
A former street racer, Russell Grimes has turned to racing on the drag strip more in the last fifteen years, and decided to take on a new build. “While I was building a customer’s car, I decided to build a 60's themed drag car and here we are,” said Grimes.
This Mustang coupe presented itself in an interesting way to Grimes, who decided to start a Gasser build from it. “I bought it hanging from an A-frame in a guy’s back yard,” Grimes said. “Wish I could say it had tons of history, but it was saved from the crusher, or being a forlorn abandoned project!”
Not only did Grimes decide to tackle his first Gasser build, but double down and make it a streetable ride so he could do drag and drive style events as well. “I started building it with the goal of an oddball fun drag and drive car,” said Grimes. “I love the premise of these events and people actually driving their cars and having fun doing so.”
With a period-correct paint job and polished set of Center Line wheels, Grimes needed something to put under the tilt front end of the ‘Midnight Rider II.’ His answer was a 300 cubic inch straight six cylinder ford engine, with a single turbocharger to add some boost to the power numbers, backed with a Toploader 4-speed manual transmission.
The Edelbrock Sick Smokies event will not only be the first drag and drive event for Grimes, but also the first event for this car. “It local to me,” said Grimes. “(I hope) to run a 5-second pass (eighth-mile) every day, and not break the car. Big goals and dreams.”
“I will be shaking down a budget, basically home built car, with an oddball drivetrain, so we all know how that could go.”
Will Russell Grimes and the ‘Midnight Rider II’ survive the event, and be a player amongst the 70-plus Gassers entered for Sick Smokies? Don’t miss your chance to see over 200 competitors, and the largest gathering of street-legal Gassers, on the Edelbrock Sick Smokies event, October 12th-19th! CLICK HERE for more details!
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Russell Grimes and Brian Jackson.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com