When Becki Cram first started racing in 2014 her 08 Saleen was entered in QA1 True Street then over to NMRA Roush Performance Super Stang and on to the Exedy Racing Clutch Modular Muscle class, she was hooked, but soon knew she wanted to go faster. Now, after cutting her teeth in the categories for three years, Becki is ready to make the move up to NMRA Advanced Fuel Dynamics Limited Street for the 2020 season.
Becki had purchased a roller 10 Mustang back in 2016 and, together with her husband and fellow racer, Joe Cram, built it up to spec for its 2018 debut'she went on to finish ninth in Mod Muscle points in 2018 and seventh in 2019.
I've been telling Joe for years that my goal is to go faster, affirmed Becki, who learned a lot while racing in the Open Comp-format categories.
At the 21st Annual NMRA All-Ford World Finals at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in late September of 2019, however, the Cram couple found the silver lining on an unfortunate situation. When multi-time NMRA champion, Haley James of Hellion B-Team fame, wrecked her Fox body Mustang during pre-race testing, Joe jumped at the chance to help find a replacement chassis for Haley.
I talked to [her father and Hellion Power Systems owner] Dwayne a bunch about it, and he asked why Becki wasn't racing heads up, explained Joe, who replied that he didn't have the cash to spare to build a heads up car. Dwayne said Becki reminds him of Haley and that we should do a girls B-Team and he put everything in motion to help get us a blower. 
Becki and Joe got to work converting her 10 Mustang to Limited Street trim and almost immediately encountered a problem.
I have to add almost 550 pounds to this car, and NHRA allows only 500 pounds of ballast legally, so we're having to put a bunch of stock interior components back in to try and make up some weight to put the rest where we want it, he continued of the plan. Fortunately, his friend Nick Corea runs a steel mill and has helped Joe build all the ballast holders and weight boxes.
Meanwhile, thanks to Dwayne James's generous offer, Joe has been in touch with Chris Holbrook at Holbrook Racing Engines to have a 315ci Coyote engine assembled for Becki. It will be backed by a Turbo 400 transmission from Joel on Joy with a Neal Chance torque converter, and topped with a 2.3L Whipple supercharger direct from Dustin Whipple himself.
We're still getting everything lined up, but we're going to use some parts from my old ProCharger Coyote Modified car, too, to get hers together so she can go racing, said Joe, who is managing the necessary chassis work at home in his garage along with some help from Ray Skillman Motorsports.
Suspension wise, most of Becki's Mustang will stay the same as the couple plans to use the AFCO Big Gun rear shocks from Joe's car along with a set of Santhuff shocks up front.
We'll still leave the Mark Williams brakes, Joel's on Joy hooked us up with a gearset, and Watson Racing helped us with some odds and ends and a parachute mount and all the things to keep it a Cobra Jet because, little by little, we've gathered the parts to make it a 10 Cobra Jet just like Watson produced, Joe added.
With the start of the new season only a few short months away, Becki plans to attend Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School over the winter so she can step up her game and get licensed to run quicker elapsed times.
Otherwise, I'll just be making some practice hits and sitting in the car making race car noises until it's official, laughed Becki. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Limited Street group!
Becki and Joe got to work converting her 10 Mustang to Limited Street trim and almost immediately encountered a problem.
I have to add almost 550 pounds to this car, and NHRA allows only 500 pounds of ballast legally, so we're having to put a bunch of stock interior components back in to try and make up some weight to put the rest where we want it, he continued of the plan. Fortunately, his friend Nick Corea runs a steel mill and has helped Joe build all the ballast holders and weight boxes.
Meanwhile, thanks to Dwayne James's generous offer, Joe has been in touch with Chris Holbrook at Holbrook Racing Engines to have a 315ci Coyote engine assembled for Becki. It will be backed by a Turbo 400 transmission from Joel on Joy with a Neal Chance torque converter, and topped with a 2.3L Whipple supercharger direct from Dustin Whipple himself.
We're still getting everything lined up, but we're going to use some parts from my old ProCharger Coyote Modified car, too, to get hers together so she can go racing, said Joe, who is managing the necessary chassis work at home in his garage along with some help from Ray Skillman Motorsports.
Suspension wise, most of Becki's Mustang will stay the same as the couple plans to use the AFCO Big Gun rear shocks from Joe's car along with a set of Santhuff shocks up front.
We'll still leave the Mark Williams brakes, Joel's on Joy hooked us up with a gearset, and Watson Racing helped us with some odds and ends and a parachute mount and all the things to keep it a Cobra Jet because, little by little, we've gathered the parts to make it a 10 Cobra Jet just like Watson produced, Joe added.
With the start of the new season only a few short months away, Becki plans to attend Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School over the winter so she can step up her game and get licensed to run quicker elapsed times.
Otherwise, I'll just be making some practice hits and sitting in the car making race car noises until it's official, laughed Becki. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Limited Street group!