Fox Mustang Drag Car - Fire Storm
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Fox Mustang Drag Car - Fire Storm

By Joey Granatelli5 min read

With J.R. Granatelli At The Wheel Of Raphael Morkvenas' SSO Car, A Storm Is Sure To Follow

Steve Turner – Photographer Michael Johnson – Writer | Aug 01, 2008

Horse Sense: Aside from Profile Racecraft, which is Raphael's side project, his main source of income is from his business, Automated Solutions. The company builds machines for the home improvement and construction industries, specializing in machinery designed to make countertops and kitchen cabinets for home and hotel/motel installations.

There seems to be a trend lately. We've been writing stories about people who started life as Chevy fans, only to find greener grass on the Ford side of the fence. "I started out as a Chevy guy with a Chevelle," says Raphael Morkvenas.

We don't know anyone who could own a Chevelle and not race it, so we're not surprised to hear that the car saw regular dragstrip duty. Raphael still owns the Chevelle, but he has turned his serious racing efforts over to the Super Street Outlaw Mustang you see here.

Raphael—or "Ralphy" or "Wiggums" as he is affectionately known to his friends—grew up around Bob Kurgan and Mike Post. Being around racers and going to events fueled his love, so he bought his own 5.0 Mustang to get in on the action. Eventually, the car received a 351 Windsor with a Vortech T-Trim supercharger, a C4 transmission, and a TRZ Motorsports suspension. Bob repeatedly tried to get Raphael to join him, Mike Post, and Chocolate Chip Havemann in the NMRA's EFI Renegade ranks. Raphael didn't want to race against his friends, so he decided to go in the Super Street Outlaw direction.

However, when upgrades for that direction took too long, ultimately becoming outdated before the car was finished, he took the bull by the horns—or should we say, the sawzall by the handle. Basically, Raphael went nuts on the car by cutting everything out and starting over. Hence the birth of Raphael's side project, Profile Racecraft. Thankfully his friend Rob White owns LRT Chassis in Streamwood, Illinois, and he was able to show Raphael the chassis-building ropes. Rob came over in his spare time and helped Raphael line up the chassis, assisting with measurements and alignment. Raphael credits much of the work on the car to Rob and his expertise.

Thankfully, Raphael's family background is in machinery, so the mechanical and tool knowledge was already there. Profile Racecraft came about from Raphael's need to get things done on his car in a timely manner, without having to wait for another shop to fit him in. Profile Racecraft has one full-time employee, but it's mostly an after-hours playground for Raphael. After this article hits the streets, we expect more employees will be needed.

When the car was completed, Raphael needed a driver. He reasoned it would be easier for him to oversee the maintenance of the car and let someone else handle the driving duties. Bob knew J.R. Granatelli was looking to get back in a race car, so he put the two of them together, putting J.R. in the seat for at least 2007 and 2008.

J.R. needs no introduction, but for those that don't know, he owns Granatelli Motor Sports. His family has deep Indianapolis 500 roots, at one time he owned Paxton Superchargers, and he has several storied years as a Mustang racer.

Raphael has raced the car, running even quicker than J.R., but he would rather not stress over the driving. "I couldn't have found a better person to drive the car," Raphael says. "He's conservative, which is what I like. Some people get in a car and put it on the roof right away, but I knew J.R. wasn't going to do that." Well—there was that small fire at the NMRA Reynolds, Georgia, race, but we won't dwell on that. Otherwise, the car ran unscathed in 2007.

The car's fastest pass in 2007 was 7.70 at 186 mph, but the ultimate goal is to be the fastest in NMRA Super Street Outlaw land. "We want to run with the best," Raphael says.

We hear a storm brewing...

5.0 Tech Specs

Engine and Drivetrain

Block Dart 9.2 deck
Displacement 400ci
Rotating Assembly Scat billet crankshaft, GRP
aluminum connecting rods, Ross
Camshaft pistons
Ron Sharp-designed Comp Cams
Heads custom, Comp Cams beltdrive
Brodix Neal, Ron Sharp-ported,
Intake Jesel shaft rockers
FRPP A351
Throttle Body Accufab 100mm
Power Adder Turbonetics ball-bearing 94mm,
and -built turbo kit and intercooler;
Vortech blow-off valve; HKS
Fuel System wastegate
Weld Racing Magnum 2.0
Magnafuel Pro Star 600 fuel pump,
-10 and -8 feed and return lines,
Profile Racecraft custom fuel rails,
FRPP 160-lb/hr injectors
Transmission Dynamic Racing Transmissions
Powerglide, Ultimate Converter
Concepts stall converter, SCS
Cheetah shifter, Strange
Engineering chrome-moly
driveshaft

Electronics

Engine Management Kurgan Motorsports-tuned Big
Ignition Stuff 3
MSD 7530 box, coil, and Granatelli wires;
Gauges NGK plugs
Racepak

Suspension and Chassis

Front Suspension
K-member
Control Arms AJE tubular, dropped spindles
Struts AJE tubular
Springs AJE
Caster/Camber AJE coilover
Brakes Profile Racecraft-designed
Wheels AJE
Rear Suspension Strange Engineering
Shocks Wheels
Exhaust 15x3½-in
Tires Profile Racecraft custom
Rearend Mickey Thompson front-runner
Transmission Strange Engineering double-
Rear Suspension manifolds, 5-in muffler
Springs adjustable
Traction Devices
Shocks Strange Engineering coilover
Rearend RJ Race Cars ladder-bar setup
Strange Engineering
Wheels Weld Racing Magnum 2.0 15x12
Profile Racecraft custom Ford
bead
9½-in rear; Strange Engineering
differential, gears, and axles

Note: this table's row pairing still looks scrambled compared to a typical spec sheet (e.g. "Rear Suspension" repeats twice with unrelated values) — this reflects the original scraped source, not something I introduced. I'd recommend verifying against the original MotorTrend article before publishing.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Fire Storm Fox Mustang

Q.What is the history behind Raphael Morkvenas' Fox Mustang drag car?

A.Raphael originally raced a Chevelle, but shifted his serious racing efforts to the Super Street Outlaw Mustang featured in this article. After delays and outdated upgrades stalled progress, he rebuilt the car from the ground up, literally cutting everything out and starting over, which led to the creation of his side project, Profile Racecraft.

Q.Who drives the Fire Storm Mustang in competition?

A.Although Raphael has driven the car himself, he chose J.R. Granatelli, owner of Granatelli Motor Sports and a seasoned Mustang racer, to take the wheel for the 2007–2008 seasons. Raphael preferred to focus on maintenance while letting an experienced, conservative driver handle the passes.

Q.How fast is the Fire Storm Fox Mustang?

A.In 2007, the car's best recorded pass was 7.70 seconds at 186 mph, with the team aiming to become the fastest in NMRA Super Street Outlaw competition. Their goal: "run with the best" in the class.

Q.What major modifications were made to the chassis and suspension?

A.Raphael worked closely with Rob White of LRT Chassis to align and build the chassis, using Profile Racecraft components throughout. The car features AJE tubular front suspension, coilovers, Strange Engineering shocks, and a ladder-bar rear setup from RJ Race Cars, all designed for high-power drag racing stability and traction.

Q.What engine setup powers the Fire Storm Mustang?

A.The car runs a 400ci Dart block with Brodix Neal heads, a Ron Sharp–designed Comp cam, a Turbonetics 94mm turbo, and a full custom Profile Racecraft turbo system. It's supported by a Magnafuel system, 160 lb/hr injectors, and MSD ignition components — a combination built for serious boost and big horsepower.

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