S650 5.0/10R80/3.55 Premium/Non-PP 1/8th Mile Progress 2025-2026

[Mr.CarbonG]

First thing I will say to anyone on this forum is don't be disappointed, and have some very realistic expectations when going to the track. Social Media, Vendors, and People needing their Ego stroked will post up some Hero runs in Negative DA at the best prepped tracks and make it look like if you can't hit this number you suck.
I have a really simple build with my goal to build a very competitive NHRA Foot Brake Sportsman/Street Class Bracket Car. Its a 2025 GT Premium(401a), Non-PP, with 3.55 Gears. I ordered this car the very first day the order banks opened in 2024.

My First Season I did some very simple mods to the car and competed with mix results:
P51 101RF 19X10 285/35R19 Nitto G2
P51 101RF 19X11 305/35R19 Nitto R2
Whiteline Subframe Bushing Inserts
Whiteline Billet Vertical Links
94 Octane Petro-Canada Fuel (E30 Blend With VP X85 Resulted in No Gains)
Car went a best of 7.82 @93.44mph ->1.93 60ft (~1800 DA)
Car was wildly inconsistent varying from 7.8x to 7.9x between runs.

This year my second season I concentrated on traction
Forgestar F14 18X5 28X6 M/T ET Street Front Runners
Forgestar F14 17X10 305/45R17 ET Street Radials
Ford Performance Street Lowering Spring Kit(Doesn't Help In Drag Racing)
Whiteline Subframe Bushing Inserts
Whiteline Billet Vertical Links
Whiteline Adjustable Toe Arms
Rear IFS Street/Strip Alignment -.5 Degree Camber, +.11 Toe
SCT BDX/5 Star Tunning E30 Tune
E30 Fuel Mixture (94 Octane Petro Canada w/VP X85 Fuel)
Car has gone [email protected], 1.732->60ft (~1300DA)
Car is dead nuts consistent 7.62->7.64 (~1800-2100DA)

I'd like to purchase the E85 Tune from 5 Star later in the year when I have the opportunity to go to a better track in better DA and see what kind of ET/MPH I can set. The numbers above though are taken from the same track. There is still some 60ft to be gained if I where to swap to Viking Rear Shocks, and even look at the front strut option. The front is popping up quickly but immediately drops, and the 1-2, 2-3 shift has a bunch of weight shifting around forward and backwards.

I wanted to post this up and share some progression with the group, I've learned a lot through the years on these cars from S197's, S550 and now S650. Hopefully others will post up some of their journeys.

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[Coyote Chase]

Thanks for your post. I raced in the (foot brake) SST (super stang) class in NMRA. I've been looking for a new organization and class to race. I'm already a NHRA member, but haven't found a class. Thanks again for the tip!

PS: Some of the NMRA members are still racing twice a year. South Georgia in the Spring and Beech Bend in the fall.

 

[Mr.CarbonG]

Thanks for your post. I raced in the (foot brake) SST (super stang) class in NMRA. I've been looking for a new organization and class to race. I'm already a NHRA member, but haven't found a class. Thanks again for the tip!

PS: Some of the NMRA members are still racing twice a year. South Georgia in the Spring and Beech Bend in the fall.

I just read up the class rules in Super Stang, that's pretty cool! We have a limited amount of tracks in Canada and most are NHRA and its almost all Bracket Racing. I do hope to do a 7.5 Index race at some point later in the year, I'd like to do some fair heads up racing. I really do enjoy the fact the Super Stang class uses a Pro Tree, that's all based on reaction instead of calculating the tree.

 

[Coyote Chase]

The 10R80 transmission has a lot of tuning advantages. You can pick witch gears to use or skip and what RPM to shift, etc.
I launch at 2500 rpm in 2nd gear and pass though the traps in 6th gear, slightly above the RPM of my max hp. Some of the 5.0 Coyote racers push past 7,000 rpm and use as few as 3 gears.
I have my base transmission drag tune, posted on HPtuners' forum, just look under threads started by "Coyote Chaser"

 

[ZXMustang]

The 10R80 transmission has a lot of tuning advantages. You can pick witch gears to use or skip and what RPM to shift, etc.
I launch at 2500 rpm in 2nd gear and pass though the traps in 6th gear, slightly above the RPM of my max hp. Some of the 5.0 Coyote racers push past 7,000 rpm and use as few as 3 gears.
I have my base transmission drag tune, posted on HPtuners' forum, just look under threads started by "Coyote Chaser"

Out of curiosity I went and grabbed your file and looked at the trans side. You did pretty damn good if I might say so. Not much if anything I’d change if this was purely for racing. Not bad man kudos.

edit I would disable tq based shift scheduling as well as shift anticipation on the first tab. That will force the car to use your shift scheduling exclusively and keep it more consistent.

 

[Coyote Chase]

Out of curiosity I went and grabbed your file and looked at the trans side. You did pretty damn good if I might say so. Not much if anything I’d change if this was purely for racing. Not bad man kudos.

edit I would disable tq based shift scheduling as well as shift anticipation on the first tab. That will force the car to use your shift scheduling exclusively and keep it more consistent.

Thanks! and I'll check the torque base and anticipation!!
Also, the posted tune file is my base. I make gear choice and RPM adjustments, based on track conditions, D/A, etc. When racing in a foot brake class and launching in 2nd gear, I change the 1st gear rpm settings to skip that gear and drop my RPM under 6K to reach peak plus HP though the traps in 6th gear. Several of the 5.0 Coyote racers are using similar TCM tuning and skipping gears, due to the ability to produce HP at higher RPM.
Thanks again!

PS: I've been told by a few of the 5.0 racers, never to use 7th gear, it puts too much stress on thier motors.

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