By Michael Gauthier
Last year we brought you news from the SEMA show that Ford was preparing to launch a new budget Mustang racer. Now the company has announced they delivered the first 19 Mustang FR500S’ last weekend at the inaugural Ford Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup racing series.
New owners were given the chance to meet with series officials, receive technical information from Ford Racing engineers and attend the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School. Priced at $75,000 the FR500S race cars sits below other Mustang race cars like the FR500C ($125,000) and the FR500GT ($250,000).
Power is provided by a tweaked version of the standard 4.6L V8 found in the Mustang GT, producing about 325 hp. Changes to the car include a new cold air intake, a modified exhaust system, performance tuning by Roush, a stripped down interior to remove excess weight, the addition of a rear wing and a roll cage. Co-developed by Ford Racing Technology and Miller Motorsports Park, a total of 77 Mustang FR500S’ were built by AutoAlliance International in Michigan.
The cars will compete in the Ford Mustang Challenge which will be held at various race tracks across the United States. Sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association, the series will only be open to racers with the new FR500S.
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Press Release
The inaugural Ford Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup racing series held its first official event this past weekend with 19 entrants taking delivery of their new Mustang FR500S race cars in a special program at Miller Motorsports Park.
Participants also had the opportunity to attend the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School, meet series officials, receive technical information from Ford Racing engineers and shake down their new race cars for the first time during the open track sessions on both Saturday and Sunday.
“The Mustang was a dominant showroom-based race car during the glory days of American road racing in the mid-1960’s and ‘70’s and this car certainly continues that proud tradition,” said Jamie Allison, manager of the Ford Performance Group. “Our intent was to develop a fun-to-drive reliable race car that delivers on what people have come to expect from a Mustang – V8 power and rear-wheel drive performance at an affordable price, and I think we’ve accomplished that with the FR500S.
“In the short time since the creation of the Mustang Challenge was announced at SEMA, the interest in the both the FR500S and the series has exceeded our expectations,” Allison continued. “We have a terrific mix of participants that bring experience from various forms of racing, including the Grand Am KONI Challenge Series, which should produce exciting, fender-to-fender racing.”
The FR500S was co-developed by Ford Racing Technology and Miller Motorsports Park and is the newest addition to the Mustang FR500 racing family. A total of 77 cars were manufactured at AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, MI, with additional race-prep fabrication at Watson Engineering (Taylor, MI) and final race prep at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT, the FR500S is the first race car built by Ford Motor Company at a production facility intended for sale to the public.
The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is a new professional racing series co-developed by Ford Racing and Miller Motorsports Park and appeals to racers looking to compete in an affordable, challenging V8-powered rear-wheel-drive car. Utilizing only the new Ford Mustang FR500S and sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association, the series will stage eight races in support of major professional road racing events across North America:
May 2-4
Road Atlanta
HSR
June 13-15
Mosport International Raceway
NASCAR (Canada)
June 20-22
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Grand Am
July 18-20
Barber Motorsports Park
Grand Am
August 15-16
Lime Rock Park
NASCAR (East)
August 29-21
New Jersey Motorsports Park
Grand Am
September 19-21
Miller Motorsports Park (doubleheader)
Grand Am
For more information about the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup or details on how to purchase a Mustang FR500S, please visit www.MustangChallenge.com.Source: Ford