Big turbo upgrade allows the 6.0-liter PowerStroke diesel to put this F-250 in the low 13s at high elevation.
The Ford Mustang is one of the greatest performance cars in the history of the American auto industry, but in this week’s Truckin’ Fast Tuesday video, the classis pony car gets beaten in the quarter mile by a diesel-powered Ford F-250. This footage comes to us from the YouTube channel of Dan Stathis and while the high elevation of Bandimere Speedway leads to slower-than-usual elapsed times, the Super Duty knocks off the modified Mustang.
High-Riding F-250
The details on this Ford F-250 Super Duty are short, but we know that it is equipped with a KC Turbos Stage 2 package, which includes a big Garrett turbocharger. According to the shop website, this turbo package is good for 500 to 600 horsepower on a 6.0-liter PowerStroke diesel engine, but they recommend upgraded injectors for the best results. On the other hand, this F-250 has stock injectors, but that doesn’t stop it from making enough power to get down the drag strip more quickly than the Mustang.
Finally, we can see that the big F-250 pulls around the burnout box, so the odds are good that this Super Duty is launching in four-wheel-drive, allowing it to make use of all of that diesel power.
Outrunning the Mustang
After pulling around the burnout box and easing up to the line, the driver of this F-250 brings the engine speeds up as the lights on the starting tree come down. The Super Duty launches amidst a cloud of black diesel soot, with all four big truck tires gripping the ground and propelling the huge truck down the track.
The four-wheel-drive advantage coupled with the big diesel torque allows the F-250 to jump out in front of the Mustang and as the two head down track, the Ford pickup just keeps on pulling away. On the top end, the F-250 runs a 13.13 at almost 102 miles per hour and gets the win, but we don’t see what the Mustang ran.
While some of you might be wondering why an F-250 with 500+ horsepower is only running in the low-12-second range, keep in mind that track times are substantially slower at the mile-high elevation of Bandimere Speedway. These vehicles would surely run much faster at sea level, but even at the high elevation, the Super Duty gets the win.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
