| ’69 BARRACUDA S 440 | VS. | ’71 MUSTANG MACH 1 |
| CAR | '71 MACH 1 | ’69 CUDA 440 |
| Engine/hp | 429 CJ/375 | 440/375 |
| Carburetion | 4V | 4V |
| Transmission | C6 Select-Shift | TorqueFlite automatic |
| Axle | 3.91:1 Traction-Lok | 3.55:1 Sure Grip |
| Weight | 3,904 lbs | 3,668 lbs |
| Round One | 14.14 @ 98.56 mph | 13.72 @ 99.21 mph WIN |
| Round Two | 14.05 @ 99.54 mph WIN | 13.74 @ 99.16 mph |
| Round Three | 14.02 @ 100.07 mph | 13.82 @ 98.91 mph WIN |
Squaring off next is a pair of big-block ponycars. Mark Maybee pilots the '71 Mach 1, another 429 SCJ car with the C6 automatic and 3.91:1 Traction-Lok differential. Lighter than the Torino that shares this engine, Mark's Mach 1 is also faster, qualifying with a 13.91 at 100.07 mph.
Mark is competing against Mopar man and Pure Stock Drags veteran Norm Verhage. Norm's tough in his 375hp 440 Barracuda S, the lightest ever built with a 440. The Barracuda has an automatic, 3.55:1 Sure Grip gears, and tips the scales at just 3,668 pounds-pretty lean for a big-block musclecar. Norm qualified his Plymouth with a 13.90, a scant one hundredth quicker than the Mach 1.
Round One: Red light in the Ford lane. Mark is off his rhythm and runs a 14.14 at 98.56, far from Norm's best-of-the-event 13.72 at 99.21. Mark gets spanked.
Round Two: Talk about role reversal: red light in the Mopar lane. Mark has a clean run, but it'll take more than his 14.05 at 99.54 to knock off the Barracuda's 13.74 at 99.16 mph.
Round Three: It's a clean launch on both sides: a .551 r/t for the Mustang, .524 for the Plymouth. The Barracuda's really hooking and runs an excellent 2.05 60-footer. Mark's short time is 2.168. Into open track now, the big-cube brawlers wind out and barrel towards the finish line. Typical of the 429s, the Mach 1 has a powerful top end, but the 440 'cuda hangs on to carry the day, 13.82 at 98.91 to the Mach 1's 14.02 at 100.07 mph.
| ’64 MERCURY MARAUDER | VS. | ’72 BUICK GSX |
| CAR | '64 MERCURY MARAUDER | ’72 BUICK GSX |
| Engine/hp | 427/425 | 455/270 (net) |
| Carburetion | 8V | 4V |
| Transmission | Four-Speed | Turbo 400 automatic |
| Axle | 4.56:1 Limited-Slip | 3.73:1 Posi-traction |
| Weight | 4,367 lbs | 4,208 lbs |
| Round One | 13.37 @ 106.21 mph WIN | 13.80 @ 103.16 mph |
| Round Two | 13.43 @ 106.96 mph | 13.48 @ 103.55 mph WIN |
| Round Three | 13.28 @ 107.50 mph WIN | 13.49 @ 104.16 mph |
Brian Stefina's '64 427 Marauder is all about old-school Ford power. FE power once ruled the tracks and streets, and Brian's out to prove that it still does. Under that big hood is the legendary R-code 427 dual-four-barrel engine, good for 425 hp. Brian has tuned and dyno'd the engine (best run was 471.2 hp at 5,600 rpm), and he drives like a man on a mission.