This 700hp Mustang is ready to break hearts at Optima Street Car Challenge 2024

Optima’s Ultmate Street Car Challenge is exactly that, pinning street rego’d machines against each other in drag racing, time attack, go-to-whoa and build quality for bragging rights.

Chaise Delia’s 2017 Mustang GT is a perfect example of that. He drove the thing over two hours (each way) to the Optima USCC in 2022, smashed everyone but the Harrop GT3 Z06 Corvette in the hot lap and drove home.

“There’s no question that it’s a proper street car,” he said proudly at Optima in 2023.

You may think a standard GT isn’t capable of such things, and you’d be right. Although it looks unassuming from the outside, the grey coupe boasts plenty of brawn under the skin.

The Muzzy has a PowerHouse Engines-built 5.2-litre, based on an M50R block and breathing 10psi of boost from a Harrop 2300 blower.

Paired with a manual Tremec ‘box, factory Brembo brakes and custom tuned suspension from guru Mike Maier, it makes for one potent package.

The Mustang copped that spicy package after it lunched the original engine, which it while it was Chaise’s daily driver. 

Chaise has thrown his hand up for the 2024 running of Optima USCC, which is back at Calder this weekend on Saturday, April 20. With over 70 competitors it’s set to be the biggest running yet, and Chaise will have his work cut out for him to retain that podium spot. 

Grab some tickets at this link here, and we’ll see you there!