ARTICLES AND STORIES

MY 1989 FORMULA 350
by Shane Van Focsani
this is an excerpt from the articles appearing in the EAGLE

I am twenty years old and a college student. Besides the NFTAC, I am also a member of the Clinton Car Club in Clinton, Illinois. I own a red 1989 Formula 350. I purchased the car two years ago at a prestigious dealership. So I thought! The second week I had the car everything went wrong with it. I put around three thousand dollars into the motor, tires and exhaust. This was very steep being that I only work part time due to school.

After the car came out of the shop it ran great. This is when the modifications took place. I installed an ADS Super Chip, March Pulleys, K&N Air Filter, TPIS airfoil, Electronic Super Coil and Flowmaster exhaust. I found a considerable gain from all of these parts, but soon realized that money was slim and I decided to stop modifying; however, I decided to put taillight covers and a solar wing on the car and had the back window tinted.

In September of 1996 I finally had the guts to take the car to the drag strip. So my girlfriend, father and I made the three hour trek to Byron, Illinois. Byron Dragway is a quarter-mile track and is approximately twenty miles from Rockford. It was the Pontiac Redskin Nationals. There were several Firebirds with all different types of people. From basically stock cars like mine, to fully tubbed nitrous burning pro-streeters. I was by far the youngest in the street class. I was very nervous and could barely eat anything, because this was my first time at any track. I made several qualifying runs to select my dial-in. Finally after a few hours, eliminations began. Throughout the course of the day I beat five cars and claimed my first place trophy. Some of my friends stated that this is luck, but it was the car that was so consistent. I ran my dial-in every race but one and cut a .505 light in the last round. The track officials could not believe I had never raced at a track before. I think I was still in shock a week later.

Now my car is no top fueler, but I still had fun doing it. I met several people at the track and had a great time.

I am now looking for a pro or super pro car, but for right now here is a picture of myself with my car after the final race. My license plates read BORN USA.

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