If you’re a fan of the noble sport of drag racing, the name ‘Paul Mouhayet’ may not instantly ring a bell, but throw the name ‘Moits’ into the mix and you’ve got the stuff of legend. Paul is a down-under drag racing hero of sorts — that of the iron-balled nature — and has most recently made headlines by completing the fastest-ever doorslammer pass in the world — a 5.59-second pass in which he hit 274.33mph.
That was in his newest car, the 2014 Moits Mustang, which is based in the USA at present. On the lower half of the globe, he’s taking care of business with the distinctive orange Moits Mustang. This car was originally built in the USA in 2004, for an American named Brian Carpenter. Paul told us the car was unfortunately involved in an accident, where the trailer it was in rolled, damaging the Mustang. Moits Racing purchased the car around 2012, and has been making waves in the drag racing scene both locally and abroad ever since.
It is this car that Azhar Bhamji has managed to bring to New Zealand, as part of the V 4&Rotary Nationals 20th anniversary, and it’s set to hit the Meremere dragstrip on Sunday, January 31.
While turbochargers are a permitted power adder in the American Pro Modified class, the local equivalent — in both Australia and here in New Zealand — of Top Doorslammer does not permit their inclusion, and has given Paul no real class in which to compete. Even so, he’s been making local headlines in his other turbocharged drag car, the 2004 Mustang–bodied Moits doorslammer, renowned for racing on ‘small’ [10.5-inch] tyres.
Just last year, Paul completed a 5.99 at 252.95 at Sydney Dragway, in the process setting Australia’s quickest and fastest Australian Outlaw 10.5 pass, and setting a new World Speed Record on a 10.5-inch tyre. He’s since topped that with a 5.75 at 261mph at Sydney Dragway, in September 2015.
“It doesn’t like those high speeds on the small tyre,” Paul says. “You might have seen the video where it blew a tyre.” Even so, Paul has said that he will be putting the small tyres back onto the Mustang when they get back to Aussie — it’s gotta be pretty fun being the fastest small-tyre bloke out there.
This is thanks to the impressive mill nestled within the confines of the tube-chassis’ front end — a Proline Racing 481X. An AJPE billet aluminium block, based on a Hemi bottom end, and AJPE Stage 3 billet big block Chev–based heads, along with a rotating mass comprising some seriously trick kit.
Couple this with a pair of Precision Turbo turbos, pumping out around 65psi of boost, and you’ve got a 3700hp-plus monster easily capable of five-second quarter-miles. A Rossler two-speed TH400 transmission has proven to be more than capable of the boosted abuse thrown its way, as is the beefy diff with 10-inch crown wheel. Even so, new diff gears are still required every 30 runs or so.
The Mustang is in fighting form at the moment, and is all ready to throw down at Meremere Dragway this Sunday. Head down to the V 4&Rotary Nationals at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on Saturday, January 30, to behold it in all its glory.
