Unlikely Ford F-150 XL beats the odds and pulls off a David vs Goliath drag race victory against powerful Shelby Mustang GT500
- This drag race seemed like a foregone conclusion
- On paper, the Shelby Mustang GT500 should have a clear advantage over the Ford F-150
- But how would things pan out on the track?
Published on Feb 18, 2025 at 5:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Feb 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This Ford F-150 XL beat the odds and defeated a Shelby Mustang GT500 in a drag race.
The showdown took place at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey, which has played host to many iconic races.
On paper, it would seem like this race would be a forgone conclusion – the F-150 has size on its side, but the GT500 is sleek and slender.
But with drag races, you have to expect the unexpected.
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Clash of the Titans? The showdown between a Shelby GT500 and Ford F-150
The Shelby GT500 is powered by a 5.2-liter supercharged V8, capable of producing 760HP.
Although no slouch itself, the F-150 just doesn’t look quite as good on paper with 400HP coming out of its 5.0-liter V8.
But once the pedal was put to the metal, it was a very different scene.
The F-150 did 12.24 seconds at 114mph, whilst the Shelby only managed 12.69 seconds at 129mph.
It’s a slight difference, but that makes all the difference when it comes to drag races, as we saw when a C8 Corvette and Audi RS 6 Avant faced off.
As reported by autoevolution, there was likely something at play that gave the F-150 the edge.
It was probably finetuned or its driver was exceptionally capable in nail-biting circumstances.
This couldn’t be said for the driver of the GT500, who was calling for a rematch.
To quote Fleetwood Mac, ‘Lightning strikes maybe once, maybe twice’.
It was all to play for.
A drag race rematch
Unfortunately, the Shelby couldn’t get their mojo back and it was the same old story.
The F-150 roared ahead, leaving the GT500 in the dust.
The clocks showed 12.17 seconds for the Ford and 17.05 for the GT500.
The supercar was looking a little sluggish by comparison, which we all know isn’t really the case.
It was a true David and Goliath story, a real life Underdog success story.
And we all love seeing the little guy – the big guy in this case – win out, don’t we?
In fact, there have been multiple underdog success stories in racing.
And who could forget the time a Cybertruck took on a Lamborghini Aventador and Revuelto?
Never underestimate a car or its driver.
To see the F-150 and GT500 showdown, head over to ImportRace‘s YouTube channel.
