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"From an appearance standpoint, we were able to pick up a lot of stock
Mustang dimensions," Gibson explained. "For example, the grill, headlights,
the contour of the front end is stock. We made a template off a stock
Mustang and made it absolutely stock.
"We have a lot of contouring on the side of the car at the rocker,
down low, (that also was) pulled right off the stock Mustang. What was
funny is everybody goes, 'well, that doesn't look right.' People were
so used to seeing what was out there (that) when they saw one that picked
up stock features, they thought it looked funny."
The one major element that could not be brought back to showroom specs,
Gibson said, was the roofline.
"What has happened to Funny Cars is (technical officials) allowed the
roof to get very narrow," Gibson said. "As a designer, you have to design
it with the roof narrow because that's (how you get) the best aerodynamics.
But it really makes the car look funny to have the roof that narrow.
It's odd that they let (the racers) do that. The roof width is the only
dimension (on the Mustang) that is really different from stock."
Of course, the feature that has attracted the most attention is the
unusual mounting position for the parachutes. Instead of side-by-side
in the center of the rear deck, the 'chutes on the new Ford are mounted
under the taillights, one on either side.
Force is hoping his rivals get a very good look at the new parachute
location, starting with Friday's qualifying.
AMATO OUT OF WINSTON SHOWDOWN DUE TO EYE SURGERY,
DUNN IN DRIVER'S SEAT 
Laser surgery to repair two tears in the retina of his right eye was
performed June 26 on Joe Amato and will force the five-time top Fuel
champion to miss the Winston Showdown at Bristol. Mike Dunn will be
in the driver's seat of Amato's DynoMax/Valvoline/Keystone Automotive
dragster.
"I don't know how it happened," said Amato. "I started to notice a
problem at Gateway, but I thought it was something with a contact lens.
I went to my doctor when I got home and he found the tears and did the
laser surgery right away."
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