Close Call
A Livernois-tuned Focus RS hangs with a stock Shelby on the drag strip
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Livernois Motorsports
If you own the top dog Shelby GT350 Mustang, you might immediately dismiss that Focus RS staging next to you at the drag strip. Well, you might want to think twice if your Shelby is stock, because a tuned Focus RS recently held its own against a stock Shelby GT350 at a private track rental in Michigan.
The proud owner of Ford Performance’s hottest hatch recently brought his car out to a Livernois Motorsports track rental to test out his freshly tuned EcoBoost machine. He invited his pal with a shiny new GT350 to come along and the two lined up for a little friendly competition. While the Shelby was totally stock, the RS sported Livernois’ new E30 calibration in the PCM.
Using launch control set at 5,000 rpm, the Focus RS used its all-wheel-drive grip to get the jump and hang with the Voodoo-powered Mustang—12.88 vs.12.64. (On the next pass—not seen here—the RS actually edged the GT350 with a 12.7). You can watch the friendly race right here…
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