The 2008 factory original Ford Mustang Cobra Jet piloted by Don Fezell of DuBois, Pa., has always been fast in NHRA’s Stock Eliminator class.

The stick shift car has been a record-setter in an automatic dominated division.

The 2008 factory original Ford Mustang Cobra Jet piloted by Don Fezell of DuBois, Pa., has always been fast in NHRA’s Stock Eliminator class.

The stick shift car has been a record-setter in an automatic dominated division.

Fazell’s Cobra Jet, which is sponsored by JDM Engineering Inc. and tuned by JDM owner Jim D’Amore Jr., is taking things to the next level since switching over to a Boninfante clutch just over a year ago.

The proof is in the numbers.

On March 13, 2014 during qualifying at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., Fezell set new Stock Eliminator records for elapsed time and mph with his 8.55-second lap at 159.84 mph.

“Getting the stick shift to work,” said D’Amore Jr. about the key to the Cobra Jet. “You’re pushing all this power to a 9-inch tire. The biggest thing (to going even faster) was the Boninfante clutch. When we switched over to the Boninfante clutch, that allowed us to put enough slip in the clutch, where our old clutch wasn’t allowing us to slip. We put this (Boninfante) clutch in and after some test sessions we got a pretty good handle on it. The Boninfante clutch has made a huge (difference) for us. If it wasn’t for that clutch and the help from Boninfante we would probably still be running in the 8.70s.”

D’Amore builds the motor for Fezell’s Cobra Jet, and he also does the chassis and clutch work on the car. D’Amore’s company is based in Freehold, N.J.

Fezell held the old record at 8.70 seconds at 157.36 mph, which he ran on Nov. 24, 2013 in Gainesville. Fezell first set the record in 2010 at 9.37 seconds at 148 mph and then he reset the record in 2012 with an 8.89-second pass at 154.48 mph.

Back at the NHRA’s Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, N.C., in 2012 during the opening round of qualifying Fezell clocked the first 8-second pass in the history of Stock Eliminator with an 8.954-second pass at 153.88 mph.

With a Boninfante clutch in place, D’Amore has even higher expectation for Fezell’s Cobra Jet.

“With the power that we are making I think we can go in the 8.40s at 162 mph,” D’Amore said.

Fezell will be competing in his Cobra Jet Thursday through Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

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