A modified Ford F-150 XL surprises at Island Dragway, easily defeating a classic Pontiac GTO and other challengers.
A modern Ford F-150 XL left a vintage Pontiac GTO in the dust at Island Dragway, proving once again that pickup trucks can be formidable dragstrip contenders. The matchup, captured by the drag racing-focused ImportRace YouTube channel, showcased the truck’s blistering quarter-mile performance, with the F-150 clocking an impressive 10.96-second run against the GTO’s 14.01-second effort.
The race took place during one of the venue’s popular "Test & Tune" events, where a variety of vehicles—from muscle cars to high-powered imports and even electric models—compete for bragging rights. While the classic Pontiac GTO may have looked competitive at the starting line, the F-150’s pre-race burnout hinted at its true capabilities. Once the lights turned green, the modern Ford roared ahead, quickly leaving its opponent far behind.
This wasn’t the F-150’s only victory of the day. After dominating the GTO, the regular-cab, short-bed truck lined up against a Fox Body Ford Mustang GT and delivered another commanding win, running the quarter-mile in 11 seconds flat against the Mustang’s 15.36-second pass.
The real challenge came when the truck faced a Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, a high-performance German luxury sedan known for its speed. But the F-150 once again came out on top, finishing with an 11.06-second run compared to the Mercedes’ 11.58-second time.
Much of the truck’s success came down to its driver’s quick reaction times, consistently gaining an edge at the starting line. While the exact modifications to the F-150 XL weren’t disclosed, its V8 powerplant and sleeper truck setup made it a serious force on the strip.
The performance of the pickup left many spectators in awe, demonstrating that, in the right hands, even an unassuming work truck can take down classic muscle cars and high-performance sedans.