There is no off-season for VMP Performance’s Rebecca Starkey. She continues to develop her re-skinned 2018 Mustang racer for the coming season, and at the PRI Show she revealed the car’s latest batch of upgrades, which are evidence of a serious racing effort designed to push the envelope of the company’s supercharger and tuning offerings.
“This phase of the build has taken longer than I expected it to take; but, I am accepting it as a lesson in patience,” Rebecca said. “I definitely want the car to be of the highest quality possible, and I am finally accepting that it just is going to take extra time to do so.”
The results of that measured approach to constructing the most effective combination are numerous upgrades to the chassis and suspension, including:
• Double AA Performance front suspension
• Billet Specialties made custom rear wheels, 17×3.5-inch (front) and 15×12-inch (rear)
• Menscer Motorsports front struts and rear shocks
• Profabrication forward-facing headers
• Strange Engineering Ultra Case rearend housing
• TRZ triangulated four-link rear suspension
• TRZ 9-inch solid-axle conversion
These upgrades to the car are designed to create a solid platform on which the VMP team can dial in the car’s performance on drag radials, which will allow the solid-axle S550 to race in some of the most competitive drag racing classes.
“Ultra Street cars are becoming increasingly faster. Some of the quickest combos run 4.6x eighth-mile ETs. When we started the build, the 2.65L TVS design was in its infancy. As we got research and development data back, we learned more,” Rebecca explained. “When we saw the airflow data, we knew that the Eaton rotors combined with our innovative design could be a formidable opponent in that arena. To do what the competitive teams in Ultra Street are doing will push us to stretch our abilities. It will drive us to make more power, to get that power to the ground. I am excited to develop parts and expand our abilities to do that.”
While the build is ongoing, these upgrades are designed to maximize the performance of a fully built Coyote 5.0L engine based on the stout Bear Block Motors block and boosted by VMP’s cutting-edge Gen3 2.65L TVS supercharger. Rebecca’s goal is running competitively right out of the gate while continuing to improve the car’s performance.
“I’d love to debut it running 4.90s, and get faster from there,” she explained. “But mostly my goal is to learn. I want to be a better driver, a great competitor, and I want us to be a great team. Ultimately, I just want to bring cool, innovative stuff to the market.”
With the backing of some of the best names in the industry — Anderson Composites, HP Tuners, Optic Armor, and Tucci Hotrods — she looks forward to campaigning the VMP Performance Mustang in the Duck X Productions’ Ultra Street, as well as NMRA Renegade and NMCA Xtreme Street in 2019.
“We are thrilled to continue to bring new and innovative solutions to market with this build,” Rebecca added. “Even more so, I am eager to get it on the track!”
For more on Rebecca’s program and VMP Performance’s products and services, visit VMPPerformance.com.
