Part of what makes this hobby so diverse and interesting is the events you can attend. From car shows, to drag races, to cruise-ins, poker runs, open track days, there is something out there for everybody. Now when you get an event that combines a show 'n' shine, cruise, drag race, and burnout contest, the concept is often too enticing to miss. That's the case with Super Stang Fest, the brainchild of hard core Mustang enthusiasts Jason and Deb Miles, which, after its inaugural debut at Daytona Beach in 2007 where 400 cars and countless more spectators showed up, has become a regular fixture and a must attend event on the Mustang enthusiast's calendar. For its second outing, anticipation was high, as the weekend of June 13-14 approached. Plans in 2008 differed slightly, with a more centrally located venue--Rockingham Raceway Park, located on US Highway 1, just outside Rockingham, North Carolina being selected to host the proceedings. Although it was officially a weekend event, some attendees arrived a few days in advance, managing to kick things off early.
On Friday evening, the official celebrations began, with Mustang owners and friends having a chance to attend a cruise-in to Rockingham Raceway Park, which contains a Speedway, drag strip, and road course. Free food was included at the cruise-in, courtesy of www.fnsweet.com and proved a major hit, probably why 100 cars were to be found on the grounds before long. For those who wanted a little more action than just parking on the in-field, the adjacent Rockingham Dragway, provided plenty of opportunity to light the tires in a burnout contest, sponsored by American Muscle, as well as engage in some quarter mile thrashing. By the time the last car left, the overall conclusion was that the Friday Night shindig had been a hit--with the best still to come.
On Saturday, the banks of Rockingham Speedway once again reverberated to the sound of Ford built internal combustion engines as Mustang after Mustang and Ford after Ford entered the infield and parked, ready for the show. By the time the last car trundled through the gates, the tally stood at 204 official entries. Although the show 'n' shine was the central part of Saturday's activities, being hosted at a speedway meant that it was inevitable that cars and their drivers would take to the oval and before the day was out No less than 130 Mustangs and Fords were out on the banked sections, cruising around in parade fashion.
A new fixture for 2008, co-sponsored by Silverhorse Racing, was a road course challenge, allowing participants to sign up and take their cars out on the road course. Although everybody who got a chance to stretch their steed's legs thoroughly enjoyed it there were quite a few hot shoes among the contingent. As far as the challenge went, it was won by Brian Ellis of the Sandhills Mustang club, who proved to be a seasoned hand, steering his '03 Cobra through the turns like a veteran formula racer.
Back on the show field meanwhile, just about every kind of Mustang you could think of was on display, with some clubs and groups making their presence felt. The Black Mustang Club brought the largest number of members, while the specialty car award went to the Roush Owner's Club of America, who brought 46 cars in total (almost a quarter of the entire field). The best of show award ultimately went to Lisa Walls and her '01 Mustang "Dani" a car familiar to those who've come across Lisa and her BMC contingent. And it was an award most deserving, for every time we see this car, the cooler, cleaner and more impressive it seems to be.
When all was said and done, Super Stang Fest 2008 proved to be a major hit. The series' sponsors, American Muscle, Roush Performance, Silverhorse Racing, The Mustang News, BMC Performance, Lafayette Customs, and the Carolina Ford Dealers, all did an excellent job, throwing solid support to this cult event in Mustang and Ford circles. If you missed the 2008 event, preparations are well under way for 2009, just hit www.superstangfest.com for up to date information. In the meantime, you can check out these tasty pictures, which our lensman Jeff Creech took. I think it's fair to see he had a thoroughly good time.