Show Me The Cash
The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup will feature 45-minute sprint races and run as a support series for the main event. Each race weekend will include two 30-minute practice sessions, a 25-minute qualifying session, and the 45-minute race. Entry fees for the series will total $1,300 per competitor per race, including a paddock hospitality package for up to four people.
According to the organizers, the prize for the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge will exceed $300,000 and pay out through 20th Place. Each individual race purse will total $27,000, with $5,000 going to the winner. Championship bonuses will total $69,000 and will be paid through 10th Place, with the season champion receiving $15,000. There will also be a Champion's Reward, which is a guaranteed drive in a Ford Mustang FR500C in the '09 season opener for the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series at Daytona International Speedway.
Now, if committing to the entire series isn't in your game plan, either because of timing or funds, there will be a number of "arrive and drive" options available. One company has already committed to supplying multiple cars for this purpose, and other rides may become available as the season progresses. TC Motorsports (www.tcmotorsports.net) out of Auburn, Washington, provides race-car preparation, maintenance, and transportation, as well as full arrive-and-drive support.
Whether your road-racing aspirations are modest or magnificent, there's a Mustang for every stage. You could start in SCCA T2-class competition with a Shelby GT, or head to Europe and dash around the famous circuits such as Silverstone with an FR500GT3 in FIA GT competition. If, like many of us, your budget or ability tempers your aspirations, many options are still available. You just have to go out and find the level that has championship potential for you.
James Click and Mike McGovern...
James Click and Mike McGovern were eager to try out their new rides at the series launch, held on March 1, 2008, at Miller Motorsports Park, in Tooele, Utah.
At A Glance
Ford Racing FR500S Spec Racer
Engine
Ford Racing 4.6L, Three-Valve, aluminum-block V-8Engine Modifications
Ford Racing Recalibrated PCM
84mm cold-air intake kit
Borla stainless steel long-tube headers and X pipe system
Dyno-checked and factory sealed after assembly
Driveline
Ford Racing six-speed
Upgraded clutch
Short-throw shifter
3:73-ratio axle with Torsen differential
Front and rear driveshaft loops
Chassis
Ford Racing front strut tower brace
Rack-and-pinion steering
Race ABS calibration
Brembo four-piston 14-in front brakes with race pads front and rear
Exterior
Factory-built and -painted body shell
Polycarbonate plastic quarter and rear windows
Front splitter, rear wing
Interior
All sound deadening and seam sealer deleted at factory
Lighter, vehicle-specific wiring harnesses for minimum necessary functionality
Watson Engineering rollcage built to FIA, SCCA, NASA, and Grand-Am specifications
Complete safety system including integral side head-restraint seat
Six-point HANS-compatible harness, steering wheel with quick-release hub
Fire-suppression system and window net
Master cutoff switch and center switch panel
AIM MXL data-acquisition system
Suspension
Two-way front adjustable front dampers with coil springs
Adjustable antiroll bar
Adjustable ride height
Front camber/caster plates
Rear Panhard rod
Two-way adjustable rear dampers with coilover springs
Rear antiroll bar
Adjustable ride height
Wheels And Tires
BFGoodrich g-Force R1 high-performance
245/40/R18 tires
Ford Racing 18x9.5-in aluminum wheels, 7.125-in backspacing, 45mm offset
Numbers
325 flywheel horsepowerFord Racing Mustang Challenge For The Milller Cup
2008 Series Schedule
May 3, 2008
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Track: Road Atlanta
Where: Braselton, GA
Course: 2.54-mile, 12-turn natural-terrain road course
June 15, 2008
Track: Mosport International Raceway
Where: Bowmanville, ON, Canada
Course: 2.46-mile, 10-turn natural-terrain road course
June 22, 2008
Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Where: Lexington, OH
Course: 2.26-mile, 13-turn natural-terrain road course
July 20, 2008
Track: Barber Motorsports Park
Where: Birmingham, AL
Course: 2.3-mile, 16-turn natural-terrain road course
August 16, 2008
Track: Lime Rock Park
Where: Lakeville, CT
Course: 1.54-mile, eight-turn natural-terrain road course
August 31, 2008
Track: New Jersey Motorsports Park
Where: Millville, NJ
Course: 2.25-mile, 14-turn natural-terrain road course
September 21, 2008
Track: Miller Motorsports Park (double-header)
Where: Tooele, UT
Course: 4.49-mile natural-terrain road course