Last week, we ran a feature on Evolution Performances’ 2011 5.0L Mustang that head men Fred Cook and Nelson Whitlock built with the intention of becoming the first Five-Oh to record an eight-second lap. Their ride, powered by a mildly modified 5.0L engine and fed by an intercooled F1C Procharger combination recorded a best pass of 9.10 at the NMRA World Finals.  The team battled through tire spin and ultimately had their attempt cut short as an exciting wheelstand caused enough damage to end their weekend on Saturday evening of the event.

With the race on to become the first in the eights, the guys at Evolution got the car back to their shop in Aston, Pennsylvania and quickly replaced the broken front struts and repaired the smashed oil pan before heading out to nearby Atco Raceway in New Jersey to take another crack at their performance goal. Their first pass off the trailer netted a oh-so-close 9.02 at 148.22 MPH that was followed up by the run that they’d been looking for, launching with a nice wheel-up charge and a 1.28 short time and powering through the quarter mile mark, lighting up the scoreboards with an 8.89 at 147.86 MPH to become the first 2011 5.0L GT in the eights. While other benchmarks are sure to be set with this very enthusiast-driven car, no one can take away their distinction of being the first to crack this very quick performance mark.

To learn more about Evolution Performances’ recording-breaking 2011 GT, check out our full feature on the car and the teams’ efforts over the course of the 2010 season to reach the mark.