TREMEC Brings Its Gear-Banging Stick Shift Shootout To Mustang Week Texas

For drivers and fans who still believe drag racing should involve a clutch pedal and a quick shift, Mustang Week Texas presented by Late Model Restoration is adding a class for you. During Thursday’s All-Ford Drag Day at Houston Motorsports Park, TREMEC debuts its storied Stick Shift Shootout as part of the drag racing action, giving three-pedal warriors their shot at recognition and a serious prize.

“The Stick Shift Shootout was born from the popular True Street class,” Mike Kidd, Aftermarket Business Unit Manager at TREMEC, explained. “TREMEC wanted to expand it by creating recognition for the people rowing their own gears and why the majority of them are using TREMEC products, such as the Magnum six-speed or the TKX five-speed.”

The Stick Shift Shootout format has a storied history across a number of previous events, like the now-defunct NMRA series. At Mustang Week Texas, stick-shift entries must complete three consecutive eighth-mile passes, and those elapsed times are averaged to determine the standings.

“We are taking it back to the original format, and the racers are competing for a TKX five-speed, and a special TREMEC trophy will be given to the Top 10 racers,” Kidd said.

Beyond the awards for the best averages, the four quickest H-pattern, foot-actuated manual cars advance to a heads-up shootout on a .400 Pro Tree. Lane choice is earned by performance, and once the averages are set, driver skill will settle the score.

The winner of the final shootout takes home the aforementioned TREMEC TKX five-speed manual transmission, along with a trophy and three-pedal bragging rights. The TKX is a popular choice for modern performance builds thanks to its compact size, prodigious torque capacity, and traditional shift feel.

“The excitement has grown, as there are some real competitors in the field that take pride in driving a manually shifted vehicle,” Kidd added. “Bringing the Stick Shift Shootout to Mustang Week in Texas creates the opportunity for the person who doesn’t race their car on a regular basis to win an award,” Kidd added.

The TREMEC Stick Shift Shootout is just part of the Drag Day action at Mustang Week Texas 2026. Alongside the popular True Street class, racers can jump into all-day Test and Tune, pair up in Grudge Lane, or hit the oval for spectator drags and the Pizza & Beer class, giving everything from street-driven Mustangs to full race cars a place to flex their muscles in the Lone Star State, and registration for Mustang Week Texas 2026 is open now.