When Tyler Baber loaded up his LS-swapped Fox Body Mustang and headed to Rockingham Dragway for Street Car Braggin’ Rights, the goal was straightforward: qualify in the top half of the Elite 8 Shootout and survive round one of Extreme 28s. What happened next puts Baber in a group of fewer than 20 people in NHRA history.
Winning both classes on the same night, Baber walked away with not one but two Wallys. For those unfamiliar, a Wally is the most prestigious trophy in NHRA drag racing, and earning two of them in a single event is an achievement that places him in truly rare company.
Cracking The Code At Street Car Braggin’ Rights
Track conditions at Rockingham were brutal. Temps were sky-high, and most competitors struggled to put together consistent runs. Baber and his 269 Motorsports and Michigan Motorsports team zeroed in on a 1.10 to 1.11 60-foot tune-up that worked like clockwork even in the heat of the day. Consequently, they stuck with it all week.
The results backed up the strategy. Baber qualified fourth in the Street Car Elite 8 Shootout with a 6.607 at 215.93 mph, then won the class outright. In Extreme 28s, he qualified second with a 6.696 at 212.36 mph and took that trophy as well. Both fields were stacked with cars capable of running quicker numbers, but consistency won the weekend.
Darren Nichols worked behind the keyboard all week, getting the car down the track on 19 of 21 attempts. Dan Baber monitored the chassis from the starting line, making suspension adjustments as track conditions shifted throughout the day. Meanwhile, Dalton Shearer captured content for a long-form video set to release on the 269 Motorsports YouTube channel.
The Build Behind The Braggin’ Rights Win
The engine is a Noonan block 427 ci LS that Ace Race Engines built, wearing CID LS7 heads from Hooper’s Heads. A Precision 110/114 single turbo feeds the combination. The car typically runs on ethanol and carries a Shearer Fabrications intercooler, but for this event, the team switched to methanol for the first time after the rules permitted it.
A three-speed TH400 that Capizzi Automotive built backs the engine, paired with a Circle D Specialties torque converter. Team Z suspension components with Menscer shocks handle the front-to-rear setup. TBM Brakes handles stopping duties, while RC Components wheels keep the car planted. A Holley Dominator ECU manages engine controls, and Moore Race Chassis completed the 25.2 and 6.0 certification cage.
Together, it’s a combination worthy of a double Wally at Street Car Braggin’ Rights and one that proves Baber’s Fox Body belongs among the quickest street cars in the country.
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