Autoblog

Click image for a high-res gallery of the Ford Racing Mustang FR500S

Nineteen Ford Racing FR500S Mustangs are now in the hands of their owners. In case you've forgotten, the Mustang FR500S is the $75,000, 325-horsepower racing car introduced at SEMA and offered directly to customers by Ford for use in the new single-make Ford Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup series. Starting this May at Road Atlanta, a series of eight Challenge races will take place in support of larger Grand-Am, HSR and NASCAR regional events, culminating with a September doubleheader at Miller Motorsports Park, for which the series and trophy are named.

Last weekend, the FR500S owners made a pilgrimage to the racetrack in Salt Lake City, UT where they attended performance driving school, participated in seminars about the series, and, most importantly, took delivery of their racers. Kudos to the pair of drivers who strayed from the norm, opting for black and red cars instead of the white chosen by everyone else. Once all the talking ended, the group headed out to the track for open practice sessions in their cars. May's not that far off, and the next time this group of racers gets together, they'll be competing for championship points. If you want to see the cars in action, we've pasted the Mustang Challenge schedule after the jump.


[Source: Mustang Challenge]

Fortunately or unfortunately, racing is not a cheap endeavor. No matter the series, it's all too easy to drop your life savings, your kid's college fund and any hope of making it to fiscal freedom if you've got the bug. For those willing to risk it all, the Mustang Challenge gives aspiring racers the opportunity to test their abilities in the wail of V8-powered, wheel-to-wheel combat.

The Miller Park Racing Association (MPRA) has setup the Mustang Challenge to allow amateurs to compete in a 14-race series that will be held at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele Valley, Utah.

For a grand total of $55,000, aspiring racers can purchase a modified Mustang GT, lightened by 330 pounds and sporting a revised intake, exhaust, braking, steering and suspension systems, along with a functional aero kit, prerequisite safety equipment and a data acquisitioning system. For those on the lower end of the economic spectrum, these modded 'Stangs will also be available for rent for practice sessions or on a per-race basis.

The Challenge will make its debut during the Magic of Miller Celebrity race over the Utah Grand Prix weekend. If someone needs a pit crew on their inaugural run, hit us up. A few of us have the chops and would love to live vicariously through a well-to-do reader.

[Source: Motorsport.com]