Brian Wolfe First To Run 7s With A New 7.3L Ford Godzilla V8 Engine
By Evan J. Smith
The recent 24th Annual Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals, Featuring The Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival, was a spectacle that flooded Beech Bend Raceway Park with Ford enthusiasts looking for the ultimate in Blue Oval entertainment. There was a laundry list of attractions including drag racing, drifting, off-road, autocross and more, and we saw many accomplishments, including the very first 7-second quarter-mile pass by a Ford 7.3L Godzilla-powered vehicle.
Brian Wolfe, who is the former director of Ford Performance, and now a certified Godzilla guru, brought out his 1993 Mustang LX coupe for a testing and to greet the fans interested in the Godzilla platform. Wolfe has been at the forefront of the Godzilla engine development for aftermarket performance and he’s made great strides with his Willis Performance Enterprises business.
Wolfe’s Ford Mustang is primarily set up for eighth-mile drag racing, and on his first clean pass he produced a 4.68 at 160-plus mph. Despite lifting and releasing the parachute, he still ran 8.100 in the quarter-mile at 112 mph. Wolfe stated he recently swapped to a looser torque converter, which enabled him to run 4.68 at 149 mph, but the car didn’t reach its full potential. He made the necessary changes before heading to Bowling Green and was rewarded with much improved performance.
“On the first pass we ran 4.68 at 161 mph chattering the tires a bit so we backed it down a bit and we went a 4.64 at 161 mph again. I kept my foot in it for 4.9 seconds so we could get a 7-second time slip and we went a 7.72 at only 132 mph with the parachute out. Had we made a full quarter-mile pass with the right gearing it would likely run 7.20s at 190-plus mph,” he added.
For 2023, Wolfe plans to compete in NMRA Edelbrock Renegade and NMCA Renegade Xtreme Street. To meet the rules he will destroke the engine to get it under 440 cubic inches, he will also change from a ProCharger F1A-94 to a F1A-91 and he’ll need to add approximately 120 pounds. Even so, Wolfe is optimistic that he will be competitive. “We’re pleased with the development so far and we’re excited to see the engine in actual competition,” he said.
By Evan J. Smith
The recent 24th Annual Whipple Superchargers NMRA World Finals, Featuring The Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival, was a spectacle that flooded Beech Bend Raceway Park with Ford enthusiasts looking for the ultimate in Blue Oval entertainment. There was a laundry list of attractions including drag racing, drifting, off-road, autocross and more, and we saw many accomplishments, including the very first 7-second quarter-mile pass by a Ford 7.3L Godzilla-powered vehicle.
Brian Wolfe, who is the former director of Ford Performance, and now a certified Godzilla guru, brought out his 1993 Mustang LX coupe for a testing and to greet the fans interested in the Godzilla platform. Wolfe has been at the forefront of the Godzilla engine development for aftermarket performance and he’s made great strides with his Willis Performance Enterprises business.
Wolfe’s Ford Mustang is primarily set up for eighth-mile drag racing, and on his first clean pass he produced a 4.68 at 160-plus mph. Despite lifting and releasing the parachute, he still ran 8.100 in the quarter-mile at 112 mph. Wolfe stated he recently swapped to a looser torque converter, which enabled him to run 4.68 at 149 mph, but the car didn’t reach its full potential. He made the necessary changes before heading to Bowling Green and was rewarded with much improved performance.
“On the first pass we ran 4.68 at 161 mph chattering the tires a bit so we backed it down a bit and we went a 4.64 at 161 mph again. I kept my foot in it for 4.9 seconds so we could get a 7-second time slip and we went a 7.72 at only 132 mph with the parachute out. Had we made a full quarter-mile pass with the right gearing it would likely run 7.20s at 190-plus mph,” he added.
For 2023, Wolfe plans to compete in NMRA Edelbrock Renegade and NMCA Renegade Xtreme Street. To meet the rules he will destroke the engine to get it under 440 cubic inches, he will also change from a ProCharger F1A-94 to a F1A-91 and he’ll need to add approximately 120 pounds. Even so, Wolfe is optimistic that he will be competitive. “We’re pleased with the development so far and we’re excited to see the engine in actual competition,” he said.