The Ford Motor Company’s influence on high-performance vehicles and the world of drag racing can’t be denied. There are entire families that are bound to the blue oval brand thanks to that influence, and NMRA racer Dennis Corn happens to be a part of one. Dennis is a multi-time NMRA Open Comp champion that also works for Ford Racing icon Jack Roush as the Operations Manager at ROUSH Engines.
Dennis Corn’s father, Bob, is the one who put him on the Ford path. Bob spent many years working at Ford as an engineer and played a pivotal role in elevating the company’s motorsports programs. Bob, along with Doug Thompson, Mel Wallace, Lue Williams, and Bob McNall all worked together to race several Ford vehicles. Eventually, Bob developed a relationship with Jack Roush that grew over the years and led to him working with Roush.
Dennis grew up watching his father race, and in 2008, he decided it was time for him to get behind the wheel. A Fox body Mustang was selected as Dennis’ first race car, but the deal fell through, so a new car needed to be found.
“I purchased a 1988 Ford Thunderbird in North Carolina, met with my father, my Uncle Doug Thompson, and we agreed to go racing again with me doing the driving. The plan was to keep things simple — an old-school hot rod powered by a small-block Ford like my father worked on when he was young. The car also needed to have a manual transmission like what Uncle Doug would drive. We were hoping for a 10-second ride that would run in the 135 mph range,” Dennis explains.
The Thunderbird’s chassis was built at the ROUSH facility in Livonia, Michigan. The front suspension uses a K-member from UPR, along with a set of double-adjustable struts from Strange Engineering. In the rear, you’ll find a Currie 9-inch rearend that’s filled with more parts from Strange. A set of Wilwood brakes help bring the Thunderbird to a stop. The brakes are paired with Weld wheels up front, and Billet Specialties hoops in the…
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