CA Sport does the 25 hr.......and gets it done!

In an effort to endurance proof the new for 2009 Ford FR500S Mustang, the race car at the center of the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge Series, Ford and Miller Motorsports Park teamed up for a run at the longest endurance race in the world, the NASA Pro Racing 25 Hours of Thunderhill. CA Sport was chosen to prepare and run the two cars, supported by representatives from some of the suppliers for the new spec car, including Ford Racing, Performace Friction, Sachs Suspension and BFGoodrich. The 99 car was driven by team regulars Lara Tallman, Vesko Kozarov, Keith Rossberg and Dan McKeever. The sister 98 car was driven by Cindy Lux, Mitch Wright and James Burke. Due to the intent of the event, to foolproof the platform, the cars were left mechanically intact form their to be delivered form, with the bulk of the preparation going to detail work such as chassis setup, lights, driver comfort and logistics.

After a day of final setup work during Friday's test session, qualifying saw cold temperatures and daylight long gone. With 15 minutes and 65 cars, it was always going to be a one lap affair. The 99 car qualified 3rd overall, fastest production car behind two prototypes, with Vesko behind the wheel. The 98 car had a less successful session, qualifying 26th.

The race was as expected. Long, cold, dark and sometimes wet. Both cars ran flawlessly, requiring only minor attention over the early hours. The 99 car did suffer a cut tire early on, losing 2 laps in the process. The sister car was making ground on the rest of the field from it's deep starting position. By midnight both cars were running one two, trading the lead on pit stop rotation. A 4 a.m. rain showers made the track treacherous and allowed the 99 car to separate itself from the rest of the field by another two laps, putting it solidly into the lead. And so it ran to the end, with CA Sport 99 finishing first and 98 second.

In the end, the winning car looked no different than 25 hours earlier, save for some road grime. If you are considering a Ford Mustang FR500S, you can be sure it is good for at least a 25 hour run. Plug the right team and drivers and success is bound to follow!

Don't lift