Back in the early days of the Mustang movement, True Street was one of the most popular classes around. Now, things have come full circle as the class is enjoying a serious resurgence with everything from bone-stock V6 commuters to all out, on-the-ragged-edge drag cars that barely make the required 30-mile cruise before cracking off passes in the eight second zone. However, the heart of the class is high-horsepower, street-driven machines. It gives competitors a place to race cars that might not fit any heads-up classes, without being relegated to the bracket programs. Nothing exemplifies the spirit of the NMRA’s Tremec True Street Class more than Jillian Gastright’s 2006 GT.

By: Donut
Courtesy of ProMedia Publishing

Good Taste at an Early Age

The S197 body style has undoubtedly converted a large number of folks into Mustang fans. However, Gastright’s attraction to America’s pony car started early. “I’ve always been into Mustangs, ever since I was a kid. I’ve wanted a Mustang since I was 10,” explained Gastright. “When I saw the original MystiChrome Cobra, I knew that’s what I wanted. I saw it at an auto show with my dad, and I told him, ‘This is the car I want.’”

While she didn’t get one for her sweet sixteen, her desire to own a Mustang wasn’t quelled, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, her cousin got her even more into Mustangs that she could have imagined. “My Cousin was also into Mustangs, and she introduced me to the scene, and I really got into it with her,” Gastright related. In another stroke of fate, Gastright’s cousin introduced her to her current boyfriend, Chris Jones – the owner of Blow By Racing. Gastright said, “Chris obviously has resources with Mustang, which is how I ended up with the modifications I currently have.”

The Pony

Gastright’s Tungsten Grey 2006 Mustang GT came into her possession straight off the showroom floor. “I bought this car brand new in November of 2005. It was one of the first 2006’s out,” related Gastright. Over the past few years, the car has practically doubled it’s power, and had it’s appearance substantially improved. Under the hood, the stock 3-valve 4.6-liter Modular powerplant is putting out 500 horsepower to the rear wheels, thanks to a Vortech S-trim blower kit, and Vortech air-to-water Power Cooler providing a compressed intake charge.

Controlling the valves is a pair of Blow By Racing Stage 1 camshafts while a BBR off-road X-pipe dumps the spent gasses into a pair of Flowmaster mufflers. The power is transmitted through an Exedy clutch and an OEM Tremec 3650 transmission back to the stock ford 8.8-inch rear with stock 3.55 gears. Incredibly the stock driveline lives through the abuse of 1.67-second short times.

Helping the car get down the track is a mostly stock suspension, save for the eliminated sway bar up front, and the set of billet BBR lower control arms and adjustable upper control arm, along with a relocated sway bar, which will soon be swapped out for a TRZ Motorsports anti roll bar.

Keeping the car on the road are a ste of Holeshot wheels wrapped in 26×7.5×15 M/T rubber up front, and 275/60-15 M/T ET Street Radials out back. A GT500 front bumper, BBR one-piece LNR wing, and a 3-inch cowl induction hood set the car apart from its brethren, visually. The can has run a best ET of 11.64 at 119 miles per hour… So far.

With the combination pushing 500 streetable ponies to the wheels, one might assume that it’s a weekend cruiser, but that’s not the case. “I drive the car every day, everywhere. It gets driven to school, and I drove it to Bradenton for the race. I love it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” revealed Gastright. Being an engineering student,Gastright understands the concept of “exceeding design parameters” quite well. To that end, she has more upgrades planned for the 4.6L mill. “Currently, I need to build the bottom end, because I can’t make any more power on the stock shortblock. I need to make it stronger before I go any further.” She said, further alluding to plans to make even more horsepower than she already has on tap.

Planting the 500 horsepower are a set of Holeshot wheels wrapped in 275/60-15 Micket Thompson ET Street Radials. For having a fairly stock suspension – that’s stock as in OEM, not stock-style – the can has posted impressive short times in the 1.60s.

However, the 2006 GT wasn’t the Mustang she had originally planned to buy. “I actually wanted a ‘03 GT convertible, and I had one lined up. Chris happened to have an ’05 in his shop, and he told me, “You really need to drive [the 2005] before you buy an older one.” He let me take the S197 out for a ride, and I drove it around, and that was it – I had to have an S197 after only about a mile-long test drive. The differences between the 99-04 and S197 were enough that I just had to have it,” Gastright explained.

Taking it to the Track

Being a responsible driver, with a need for speed, it was only natural that Gastright made her way to the track. “I enjoy having a fast car, and I figured, if I’m going to have a fast car, and race it, I should do it legally, at the track. So that’s how I started racing,” she explained. With her first taste of competition at the NMRA season-opener in Bradenton in the Tremec True Street class, the proverbial hook was set. “Bradenton was my first official race, and now every time there’s an opportunity to be at the track, I’m there. My first question is, ‘What class do I fit in?’”

While Gastright enjoys having a high-horsepower street car, she has some serious long term goals for the car, that don’t involve the car wearing a license plate. She elaborated, “This is my first Mustang, so I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it – I have an odd attachment to it – but once it’s paid off, I will most likely take it off the road and make it a full-on racecar.” And in addition to her plans for the car, she’s also got plans to campaign it. “I would love to be able to take it to every event, and race it regularly, but school makes it hard. So for now, I’m limited to local events.” With only a year of school left, it well could be sooner rather than later that we see Gastright start campaigning the car in a championship class. Either way, she’s having fun racing her Mustang, and in the end, that’s what it’s all about.

PowerTV: How did you decide to major in chemical engineering?

Jillian: I actually debated when declaring my major between mechanical and civil engineering. I love buildings and architecture and all of that, so I figured that I could pursue my passion for cars through racing as a hobby, and my love for buildings through my profession.

PowerTV: What made you choose Tremec True Street in Bradenton?

Jillian: Well, brackets are kind of boring to me. Plus my car really hadn’t been shaken down since we installed the Vortech. We only put it on a few months ago, so it wasn’t 100-percent dialed in, and I figured True Street would be better practice, while still getting to race it and have fun. I didn’t have enough seat time with it to know how it was going to react, to be able to get an accurate dial in, in brackets.

PowerTV: We noticed the student parking sticker on your Mustang. What are you going to school for?

Jillian: I have about a year left until I get my degree in Civil Engineering. It’s one of those jobs that people don’t really think about until they need the services of a civil engineer. People don’t realize how much engineers are involved in their everyday life; basically an engineer has something to do with everything you deal with. In fact, everyone asks me, “So what are you going to do?” after I say I’m going to be a Civil Engineer. I tell them that I could be doing anything. I’m actually leaning towards the traffic engineering field, doing highway design and things like that. I actually debated when declaring my major between mechanical and civil engineering. I love buildings and architecture and all of that, so I figured that I could pursue my passion for cars through racing as a hobby, and my love for buildings through my profession.

PowerTV: How’d you get hooked up with the guys at Blow By Racing?

Jillian: My cousin actually knew Chris, the owner of BBR, and introduced us, and we started dating. I don’t want people to think I do this because of my boyfriend, but he, and all of Blow By Racing have really helped it all along. Chris has done all the work on the car, right down to every single oil change it’s ever had.

PowerTV: How is it having a 500 horsepower daily driver?

Jillian: Absolutely awesome. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Jillian has pretty much pushed the stock shortblock as far as she safely can. 500 horsepower from the Power Cooled Vortech S-trim and Blow By Racing Stage 1 camshafts, on an otherwise stock longblock is impressive, and speaks to the strength of the OEM 3-valve motor.

The interior of the car is as it comes from the factory. However, once the car is paid off, expect to see some Kirkey’s and 5-points in there, as Jillian is already planning on building a racecar out of it.

SPEC SHEET

Driver: Jillian Gastright
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Age: 25
Occupation: Civil Engineering Student
Class: Tremec True Street
Car: 2006 Mustang GT
Weight: 3,600lbs
Engine: Ford 4.6L 3-valve Modular
CID: 281
Internals: Stock
Camshafts: Blow By Racing Stage 1 grind
Cylinder Heads: Stock
Power Adder: Vortech S-trim HO supercharger kit
Exhaust: BBR off-road X-pipe, Flowmaster mufflers
Fuel System: 39 lb/hr injectors, GT500 fuel pump
Clutch: was Spec Stage 2 Plus; now Exedy
Transmission: Tremec 3650
Rearend: Stock Ford 8.8 w/3.55s
Front Suspension: Stock, w/ front swaybar eliminator
Rear suspension; BBR Billet lower control arms, BBR adjustable upper control arm; relocated rear sway bar. TRZ anti-roll bar coming soon.
Body Components: GT500 front bumper, BBR 1-piece LNR Wing, 3-inch cowl induction hood
Wheels/Tires: Holeshot wheels, Mickey Thompson 275/60-15 ET Street Radials
Sponsors: Blow By Racing, Spec, Exedy, Vortech