Are you familiar with the Cobra Jet 428 engine? Drag racer Bob Tasca, Sr., owner of Tasca Ford in Rhode Island, was the man behind this performance power horse. Tasca was frustrated, in the 60s, when potential buyers would leave his dealership because the Mustang wasn’t fast enough. In turn, he and his dealership team created their own engine (Cobra Jet 428) using parts from the Ford service parts catalog. On the drag strip, his engine blew away the competition, thus resulting in a demand for the 428. In all, Tasca is credited with making Ford Mustangs better than when they left the factory. He once even told Henry Ford II that he made lousy cars. His influence at Ford, as a quality consultant, has resulted in years of Mustang performance.

When I think of racing, I think of Jack Roush and his trademark Panama hat. In 1964, Roush purchased his first Ford Mustang while working as an engineer at Ford. He later went on to run ROUSH Racing, ROUSH Performance, and ROUSH Industries. From 1990 through 2004, Roush’s company worked with Team Mustang as they developed the third and fourth generation Mustangs. His company currently producesperformance Mustangs such as the 427R Trak Pak and the P-51A Mustang.