Casey Shotwell has been a standout in NMRA True Street for several years.
His 2016 Mustang with a 5.0L Coyote engine, Roush supercharger and MT82 six-speed helped him achieve 12-second, 11-second and 10-second passes before arriving at 9-second passes two years ago.
By that point, Shotwell was relying on a Turbo 400 to help plant power and provide more consistency. The transmission was built by Trans Specialties and purchased from JPC Performance, and Eric Holliday helped Shotwell finesse it.
After tossing a rod in his 5.0L Coyote engine last year, Shotwell hired BES Racing Engines to put together a new 5.0L Coyote engine with a sleeved block topped with Gen II Coyote heads CNC-ported by MPR Racing Engines. Then, he set a goal to secure an 8-second pass, and accomplished that goal by sailing to an 8.95 and 152 mph at the Mod Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park last November.
“At that point, I felt like I was ready to take the next step,” said Shotwell.
That next step is sending Shotwell straight to the NMRA’s new SunCoast Performance 8.60 Street Race, a heads-up category that will be contested at the 28th Annual Spring Break Shootout, March 3-6 at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida, 14thAnnual NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals, April 21-24 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina, 22nd Annual NMRA Ford Performance Nationals, June 9-12 at Summit Motorsports Park in Ohio and the 24th Annual NMRA World Finals + Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival, Sept. 29-Oct. 3 at Beech Bend Raceway in Kentucky.
“Justin Starkey of VMP Performance was at the Mod Nationals, and we talked about pairing my 5.0L Coyote engine and Turbo 400 with his company’s Gen 3R supercharger ported by Jokerz Performance and a 10-rib pulley set-up,” said Shotwell, whose Mustang only has 10,000 miles on it. “We’re confident my car can make upwards of 1100 horsepower and run 8.60s no problem.”
To prepare his Mustang for the added adrenaline, Shotwell purchased a chrome moly cage from Tin Solders Racecars, and Gary Rohe Race Cars will install it. Shotwell will enhance his current Viking and BMR suspension components with adjustable front struts from Kelly Aiken of Kelltrac.
“Kelly has been a big help with my suspension all along,” said Shotwell. “I’ve been running 1.32 60-foot times, and with the new set-up, I should be able to run 1.20 60-foot times.”
The racer from Carlisle, Ohio plans to compete in SunCoast Performance 8.60 Street Race at the four events it’s offered at this year, and he’ll take part in NMRA True Street at the remaining NMRA events.
“I’m looking forward to giving it everything I have to run heads-up,” said Shotwell, who has support from his brother Kelly Shotwell, who competes in NMRA VP Racing Madditives Renegade; his brother, Cary Shotwell, who was competing in NMRA True Street and is moving to NMRA Exedy Racing Clutch Mod Muscle this year, and friend and fellow racer Bo Webb, who will join him in NMRA SunCoast Performance 8.60 Street Race. “I think it will be a lot of fun.”