For siblings Dominik and Danielle Post, driving fast—really fast—is a family tradition.
Their father, Mike, competed in drag racing for several years. Now he has his own high-performance shop in Hampshire where he works on Ford Mustangs exclusively. Dominik, 23, and Danielle, 19, both Illinois State University students, have spent time working at Dad’s shop. They don’t recall a time when cars and racing weren’t part of their lives.
It was natural for them to take up their father’s sport. Dominik started racing three years ago, and Danielle started two years ago. Dominik is a senior construction management major, and Danielle is a sophomore majoring in bilingual elementary education.
At recent events, their car has been flying down the track with a new decal on the side.
“I’m part of the Construction Management Student Association (CMSA), and at our barbecue, I had just come back from a win in Indy,” Dominik said. “A board member asked me about putting the construction management decal on the car.
“We had talked about it in class, so I was open to it. Then the Department of Technology sent the artwork over, and it really blossomed into what it is now.”
The Posts are from Woodstock and often pass by Bloomington-Normal on their way to races. A few weeks ago, they were heading to a race in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and offered to stop and show the car off to Randy Jacobs, instructional assistant professor in the Department of Technology, and his class.
“Randy said, ‘That’s cool, but it would be cooler if you could drive it in the Homecoming Parade,’” Dominik said. “Dad was for it, so the car will be behind the construction management float while Danielle will be marching with her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi. The car will be pretty loud for the event.”
Drag racing involves starting from a dead stop and accelerating as fast as the car will go over a 1/4-mile track. The Posts have made the trip in less than 10 seconds. They love it.
“It’s true street racing against the clock,” Dominik said. “There’s no reaction time involved—you just go at the green light. It only lasts 9 seconds, but it’s the best.”
“Going fast is very exhilarating, and before you know it, it’s over,” Danielle said. “The scariest part is stopping.”
To be precise, Dominik’s fastest time is 9.4 seconds to go from 0-153 mph. Danielle has hit 140 mph in 9.7 seconds for her personal best.
The car that gets them across the finish line so fast is a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, which Dominik said is no different than the one built by the factory in 2011 and no different in body and frame than what you could buy used right now.
“We have not modified the frame or the body in any way,” he said. “The only thing that might be considered as a frame modification is the roll bar we installed. This simply stiffens and strengthens the frame for our safety.”
Power modifications to the car include: a supercharger, intake cams, exhaust work, and suspension work—all done at their father’s shop. Unlike a factory 2011 Ford Mustang GT, this is a very fast car
“The power really sets you back in your seat,” Dominik said.
The car runs on a fuel called MS 109 by VP Fuels that costs about $22 dollars a gallon. Per race, the car typically burns about five gallons. Some quick math by Dominik puts the consumption rate at roughly 18 mpg, surprisingly good for a car that works this hard.
The Posts compete in events sponsored by two organizations: the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) and the National Mustang Racers Association (NMRA). It’s a family affair all summer as the Post parents and kids travel in a 30-foot RV pulling a Mustang dragster loaded on a 20-foot trailer. They race in St. Louis, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky.
Their mother, Kim, gets nervous about the racing, both siblings said.
“Especially as we’ve gone faster,” Danielle said. “I get nervous, too, but I get a lot of instructions in texts from my dad and brother in between runs.”
For safety, in addition to a roll bar, the car is outfitted with a braking parachute for stopping. And the driver wears a full-body, fireproof race suit; a five-point harness through the legs with a lap belt and two shoulder straps; a full-face helmet; fire gloves; and a neck brace.
Dominik and Danielle have both been in the winner’s circle, and they appreciate that their father is the main reason for their success.
“He’s a smart man,” Dominik said. “He definitely knows how to build a car.”
