I think some of you on here know this guy. I met him briefly at BMP last year, seems like a good guy. Note the last name of the guy I highlighted.


The whole import drag racing scene is a love/hate affair for most traditional V-8/RWD hot rodders. On the one hand, it’s a bunch of young people doing the hot rod thing with their cars. On the other, it’s their affinity for foreign machinery and an almost hostile disdain for American iron.

The wicked yellow Focus wagon shown here was part of that campaign. Knowing that Joe Morgan’s turbo Pinto is a regular threat at sanctioned import drag race events and that his exploits garner plenty of national publicity, Ford’s Mike Gearhart and Larry Ferrin threw him the keys to a brand-new Focus SE wagon.

Though the stock Focus is a very capable platform, the conversion to north-south engine placement and rear-wheel drive for drag racing was a no-brainer. Joe’s intimate knowledge of the Ford 2.3 turbo four dictated its use here, with a small 75-horse taste of nitrous oxide to help get the alcohol-fueled motor into boost as the Tree counts down. From there the nitrous system goes dormant and turbo power takes over, whisking the wagon to 9.18s at nearly 152 mph. While most of the imports unwittingly handicap themselves with manual transmissions, Joe simply lifts his finger off the trans-brake button and whispers sayonara.

Future plans call for a 1,000hp Esslinger stroker motor, more time spent on the road touring the NOPI, NHRA, NMRA, and Fun Ford Weekend race circuits as well as a visit to our own HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour 2002. If you see Joe and his import-buster, give him a pat on the back for helping to turn the import car tide and giving the misguided kiddies in NOPI land a look at some potent American iron, compact style. Want to see more? Log onto www.mofocus.com.

 

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Its not total BS Dustin, just partial

Its the stock block and crank, he just has $700 worth of rods/pistons in it. The crank had been in several motors over the past few years (not to mention being in a stock car for many years) and finally gave up the ghost on the dyno at 800hp. He took that opportunity to build a 3.0 liter aluminum block motor like the one in Sean Carlson's Meguirs Focus (since changed to a Neon).

That car is a heavy pig too in import terms. It weighs 2600 lbs with him in it. The reason is the interior. He still has the dash and door panels in it, plus all the stock body and glass. When I saw that car at Moroso a couple of years ago, he was listening to the Dixie Chicks in the staging lanes

Joe is a really cool laid back guy. He used to be an english school teacher, but quit to go racing full time. His other cars are a low 10 second daily driven Pinto (featured in Hot Rod a few years ago) and a 13 second Ranger with a turbo 2.3 (used to tow the pinto all over the US)

BTW, the Focus had 26 miles on it when he pulled it into the chassis shop and cut the floorboard out of it for the chassis