Four decades after Shelby and Ford collaborated on a race version of the legendary Mustang, the companies are offering a limited edition track day version of the Ford Shelby GT. Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles, a wholly owned subsidiary of Carroll Shelby International, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: CSBI) will commemorate the 1965 SCCA championship of Jerry Titus and final production of the current generation Mustang by offering up to 37 total 550 horsepower Shelby GT “R Model.” The 2009 Shelby GT “R Model” will be available for US$134,995.

“In 1965, my team built 37 small block ‘R Model’ race-only versions of the Shelby GT350 Mustang that kicked tails on circuits worldwide,” said Carroll Shelby, founder of Shelby Automobiles. “Working with Ford Racing, we’re going to build a new track day ‘R Model’ version of the Ford Shelby GT. It’ll be lots of fun to drive and ready to rip up the pavement right out of the box.”

The track day car will be featured as a “Jerry Titus Drivers Edition” to honor his 1965 “B Production” championship, which was the first for a Shelby Mustang. Jerry was one of the special drivers who piloted Shelby Mustangs to total domination on the track. Not only did he win the first championship, he broke the story of the “R Model” to the world in Sports Car Graphic and was instrumental in its development. The 2009 Jerry Titus Edition “R Model” lives up to his performance legacy.

The “R Model” version of the Mustang will be a purpose-built track car based on the same 4.6-liter V8 that powers every Ford Shelby GT; the vehicles cannot be registered for the street. Additional power will come from the Ford Racing/Whipple Twin Screw intercooled supercharger installed by Shelby and mated to a T6060 GT500-based six speed transmission before the Shelby team inserts them into the race-ready chassis. Each will be painted white with silver stripes and documented in the Shelby Registry. The racer qualifies for the NASA “American Iron Extreme” class and an excellent all-around track car that is uniquely Shelby.

“From the competition brakes to the straight pipes, this fantastic car is worthy of the ‘R Model’ designation,” stated Amy Boylan, President of Shelby Automobiles. “Working closely with Ford Racing, we engineered a car with the balanced handling, serious power and spectacular brakes that serious enthusiasts want. And just like the car driven by Jerry Titus in 1965, this Ford Shelby GT ‘R Model’ showcases our expertise in an affordable, turnkey package.”

The “R Model” is based on the 2007-08 model Ford Shelby GT. The streetcar is a well-balanced, fun to drive machine that leveraged Shelby’s experience making Mustangs go faster.

“The Shelby name has stood for performance since Carroll began building cars for the track in 1962,” added Brian Wolfe, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “Track Day enthusiasts have been asking for a contemporary Shelby and Ford Track Car for some time, so we at Ford Racing are pleased to team up with Shelby Automobiles to build a handful of very special cars. We look forward to watching them roar past Camaros and Challengers when they show up at the track.”

2009 Ford Shelby GT “R Model” track day car highlights:

A limited number will be built; orders will be accepted starting today by calling Shelby Autos at (702) 942-7325.

LIVONIA, Mich. (September 9, 2008) – Historically, the National Hot Rod Association has only approved powertrains for competition as they come from the factories in Detroit, but all that changed with the recent approval of the 2008 ROUSH® supercharged 4.6L V-8 in the Stage 3â„¢ and P-51Aâ„¢ Mustangs. It is believed that this is the first time the NHRA has approved an aftermarket powertrain for competition.

The ROUSH Mustangs will be allowed in the NHRA Stock and SuperStock categories as determined by the horsepower and shipping weight of the two vehicles. Coupe or convertible chassis will be allowed with a horsepower of 430 for the Stage 3 and 510 for the P-51A. The shipping weight of the ROUSH coupes is 3316 pounds, while a convertible weighs in at 3443 pounds.

Depending on the combination of coupe or convertible and the ROUSH Stage 3 or P-51A powertrain, the cars would be classified between AA Stock and B Stock or SuperStock A and F. For further details regarding the authorized modifications and safety requirements consult the NHRA rule book or visit www.NHRA.com.

It is anticipated that the first team to campaign a ROUSH Mustang in NHRA competition will be Haas, Carrothers & Wagner Racing. The team, which has won three consecutive NHRA Division 3 championships (2004-2006), is currently building a ROUSH Mustang with a Stage 3 powertrain.

“As many people know, I first began my motorsports career in drag racing and had a lot of success in the NHRA over the years,” said Jack Roush. “I never lost my interest in the sport and have continued to follow it with great enthusiasm since moving on to road racing and now stock cars. I think it is going to be very exciting to see a ROUSH Mustang breaking the beams on the starting line and I really look forward to the day one of our cars captures that first ‘Wally’ (the nickname of the trophy awarded in NHRA competition in tribute to Wally Parks, the founder of the NHRA).”

[Source: ROUSH]

PRESS RELEASE

Mopar(R) Will Unveil Its Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver on July 13

CENTER LINE, Mich., July 7 — This year marks the 40th anniversary of the factory-built drag race package cars from Dodge and Plymouth. To commemorate those HEMI(R)-powered drag cars, Mopar(R) announced it will unveil its new Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. on Sunday, July 13.

Featuring separate paint schemes, the first two Challenger Drag Race Package Cars built by Mopar will be revealed at approximately 2 p.m. MDT, following Sunday’s Mile-High race eliminations and before the final rounds. Mopar, Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and distributor, announced its Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Oct. 2007.

The first drag-race-only, factory-prepped package car built in 40 years, the new Challenger Drag Race Package Car by Mopar builds on the heritage of the 1968 HEMI(R)-powered Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas. The limited-edition ’68 package cars represented a significant point in Mopar’s history — solidifying the brand as a quarter-mile force. A watershed moment in drag racing history, they were also a major milestone in the evolution of the second-generation HEMI powerplant (426 HEMI engine). Some of drag racing’s biggest names drove the crowd-favorite ’68 package cars — like Ronnie Sox, “Dandy” Dick Landy and Jack Werst, just to name a few. Mopar’s popular HEMI Challenge racing series, operated in conjunction with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), features these ’68 package cars in quarter-mile competition all over the country today.

Based on the Challenger SRT8(R), Mopar’s modern, factory-prepped Challenger Drag Race Package Car will begin with a special Body-in-White (BIW) from Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario, Canada assembly plant. It has been updated for modern racing conditions. Special weight-reduction modifications were made by eliminating unnecessary components and systems. To accentuate the weight savings, it will also feature added composite, polycarbonate and lightweight components designed for drag racing. The engine was repositioned and the wheelbase was shortened to improve the driveline angle/clearance and weight distribution.

“Mopar worked with the NHRA — the world’s largest and loudest auto racing organization — to approve our race-prepped Challenger for drag race competition,” said Sunil Lahoti, Senior Manager — Mopar Marketing and Brand Strategy, Chrysler LLC. “Engineered to race, our Package Car has what an NHRA drag racer needs to thunder down the strip in competition. It’s made for straight-line, drag-strip acceleration — and is prepped to score victories off the Tree.”

Drag racers will have a choice of three engines to power the Challenger Drag Race Package Car for race competition. Mopar will build a minimum of 100 Package Cars to meet NHRA requirements. Each will carry an identification plate with sequential serial number.

Mopar built the first two Challenger Drag Race Package Cars for development and testing. Each Package Car ran successfully in June as proof-of-concept and for NHRA certification.

At the Mile-High reveal, Mopar will announce details including vehicle modifications, engine options, NHRA/IHRA categories and class eligibility, pricing, availability and distribution. A build book/owner’s manual will be available as well as a collector’s “coffee table” book.

70 Years of Mopar

When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s — the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components, restoration parts, accessories and performance parts for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

[Source: Mopar]

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