Sixteen-year-old Cash Staub may not even have his driver's license yet, but that hasn't stopped him from buying a car and shredding some tires in the drift world. Inspired by the likes of Adam LZ and Ken Block, and the seat time put in digitally drifting in Forza Motorsport, Staub decided it was time to give the sport a try for himself.
After initially running a BMW with a Ford engine, he settled on a 1988 Mustang in February this year and with the help of his father, had the car up and ready in about two months. “My dad just really likes Fords, and I like the way they look,” he said. “There's a lot of aftermarket availability for the car so it just made sense.”
His Foxbody is powered by a Ford 347 stroker, with a custom exhaust and Holley Sniper EFI. The car laid down 360 horsepower and just under 400 lb-ft of torque on a dyno, feeding that power through a TKO 600 transmission after the original T5 found itself minus third gear at his last event. A Scotidi Race Development angle kit gives the steering angle, and the rear axle is locked to keep both tires hazing.
When asked about Ford Fest, he says, "Oh, it's awesome! There's a lot of cars out here, a lot of stuff to look at, and tons of seat time and fun to be had."
Staub said he's not sure what's next in the pipeline for the car, but that he's debating on an IRS rear end with grippier tires and bigger wheels. “The car's doing fine the way it is,” Staub said. “It's a tire eater now. I hope to be competing next year. Not sure how I'll do, but it's worth a try.”