The Ford EXP was produced and offered for at least 1 Year as a 4 seater to encourage slow sales by having the car qualify for the cheaper insurance for a 4 seater instead of a 2 seater. It had a notch back hatch. rear seat with belts and was registered with the DOT that way. It was that assembly I used for the gas coupe and up series of entries.
I actually had 3 cars with 2 of them outfitted as racers.
The other combination we ran was the Mercury LN7 that was a fast back 2 seater with a rear package tray instead of a seat. It also had a different front end detail.
Both cars were painted the same and were often confused with each other.
The original car was an LN7 that ran Bonneville as a Mercury project when Don De Bring was running the same motor in a liner.
The second car I built when Elmo ragged on me for using the same car for lots of stuff. I built it to fit Wendy and she set a record with it at El Mirage on the first pass of the season and the first pass for her.
Diesel operation of that motor won't have the strength to develop enough HP to be competitive so the class is less important than the required safety items. Bio Diesel is part of the future and I would encourage the applicant to do whatever might be required to have it allowed in the class with all the other diesel cars like a gasser.
Your personnel best with a well documented run should be your objective because a class record would be out of reasonable reach as long as you ran with the spark ignition bunch.
Remember the high compression ratio and the slow burn are quite a different animal. Make it so it lasts all week and that will be a lot more satisfying.
I don't know who you have slated to drive it but Wendy would be a good start.
Well that is what I think any way.