Hoonicorn Mustang Slays Tires While an F-450 Drags it Backwards

Tug-o-War between a 1,400-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Mustang and an F-450 ends with a monster smoke show.

The Hoonicorn Mustang is easily one of Ken Block’s coolest custom machines, with a twin turbocharged NASCAR engine and a high performance all-wheel-drive system sending around 1,400 horsepower to all four tires. The Hoonicorn is one of the world’s most extreme Ford Mustangs while also being one of Block’s best options when it comes to putting on a smoky show, serving as the star of Gymkhana 7, Gymkhana 10 and a special video showing the rally legend slipping and sliding his way up the Pikes Peak Hill Climb course.

Recently, Block and his production team had the Hoonicorn, a modified Ford F-450 pickup, an empty parking lot and time to kill, so they came up with an interesting idea. They were going to hold a tug-o-war between the Super Duty and the 1,400-horsepower, all-wheel-drive classic Mustang.

Rejuvenation of the Channel

The video begins with Ken Block explaining that he is working to rejuvenate the YouTube channel that shares his name with the help of his team. He plans to do so by sharing footage that the team previously hadn’t aired, from racing footage to snowboarding fun to lost videos showing general automotive shenanigans.

This video falls into the final category, with Block sharing some tire slaying action featuring the Hoonicorn Mustang that the team shot during some downtime. This footage may not have fit into a Gymkhana video, but it makes for the kind of short clip that we all love to watch.

Townuts with the Hoonicorn

The fun part of this video begins with Ken Block and his crew discussing how to make some cool video content. They have a big, open parking lot in a secluded area, a modified Ford F-450 dually and the Hoonicorn Mustang, so with two vehicles and lots of space, they decide to have a tug-o-war. They are well-aware from the beginning that the Hoonicorn simply won’t get the traction needed to pull an F-450 backwards, so they decide that they will just have the Super Duty pull the Mustang around with all four tires spinning.

Then they decide that the driver of the F-450 will start making tight turns while dragging the Hoonicorn backwards, flinging the classic pony car wide and creating what the team calls Townuts. After some careful planning, they run a tow strap from the back of the truck to the back of the twin turbo, NASCAR-powered pony car and the fun begins.

Tire Smoking Fun

At first, the Hoonicorn smokes the tires a bunch while slowly pulling the Ford F-450 with the truck in neutral, but when the Super Duty is in gear, the Mustang is simply no match. The truck quickly gets traction, pulling the car backwards with the tires smoking.

After a few failed attempts at a tug-o-war, the driver of the F-450 begins driving around the parking lot with the Hoonicorn in tow. As the car is dragged backwards, Block keeps the wheels spinning hard, creating a massive cloud of smoke and allowing the car to slide wide behind the truck, like a water skier behind a boat.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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