Sitting in the number two spot in the NMRA Limited Stock Class, Chad Wendel from Portland, Indiana recently sat down with Holley’s film crew to reminisce about his pathway to his current placement. Wendel bought his 2007 S197 Ford Mustang brand new and has owned it for 13 years. The car was originally intended to be a daily driver and remained unmodified for the first year. After selling his other race car, though, Wendel got the itch to go racing again. With that, the stock driveability mentality went out the window and the modifications to the 2007 Mustang commenced.
Wendel began by entering his up and coming race car in the Super Stang class. In 2012, the veteran racer drove the then naturally aspirated S197 Mustang to the top of the class where he ultimately ended the season victorious. Following that winning year, the Mustang continued to prove itself at competition but in 2018 Wendell decided it was time for a change and set out to build the car for the NMRA Limited Stock Class.
Pulling the tired 4.6-liter, he replaced the engine with a slightly modified Coyote power plant paired with a Paxton supercharger. Because of its effectiveness and simplicity, Wendel chose the Holley Dominator EFI system to control the new drivetrain. With help from the guys at Complete Auto Repair and Performance in Ohio, he was able to whittle the car’s E/T down to 8.96-seconds which scored him third place in Steeda Limited Street points. During the off-season, the car once again received an under hood upgrade. This time the engine of choice was a RGR-built 304-cid Coyote and the old Paxton was ditched for a D1 ProCharger. A fresh tune of the Holley EFI system resulted in a new personal best not far off of the Limited Street class record.
Currently the car is sitting right at 3,600-lbs running a 301-cid ProCharged Coyote power plant with unported heads, all still controlled by the Holley EFI system. Wendel is defending his number two spot and looking to push the car’s and the class rules’ limits.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
