MOTORSPORT: Ford Mustang passes first test

The first Ford Mustang in Supercars racing is heading to Phillip Island after a successful shakedown at Queensland Raceway today.

The two-day program is the start of homologation procedures for the first two-door coupe to drive into the touring car championship in the modern era, with straight-line aero testing to follow in December.

The Ford Performance Mustang is expected to be freshened within days and could be at Phillip Island as early as next week as DJR Team Penske moves its development program into top gear.

The car, which ran with Ford corporate camouflage during the test while also carrying the #17 made famous by Dick Johnson and now carried by Scott McLaughlin, has been converted from one of DJR Team Penske’s spare Falcons and will serve as the team’s Mustang spare in 2019.

McLaughlin wheeled the car into action for the first time and, after his initial laps, he handed over to his Shell V-Power teammate Fabian Coulthard.

There were a couple of minor shakedown niggles but nothing that stopped the car and, although team boss Ryan Story will not give any details on lap times or the distance covered, the Mustang ran hard and strong despite track temperatures that topped 40 degrees.

“To see Mustang on track for the first time is a great milestone, as we’ve been working on this project in earnest since November last year. It is a testament to everyone involved,” Story says.

“We’ve got a good direction. The car looks fantastic, and both drivers reported that the car has plenty of promise. We couldn’t be more pleased with how things progressed today.”

DJR Team Penske is leading development of the Mustang, taking over from Tickford Racing which was responsible for the last Ford homologation program with the FG Falcon.

It has been involved in comprehensive work to morph the Mustang onto the Supercars control chassis, working with Ford Performance in the USA on speed tweaks and also Ford’s design department to ensure the DNA of the Mustang is successfully transferred to the way the car looks on the racetrack.

One of the key observers at QR was Sriram Pakkam, the aerodynamics lead at Ford Performance, who flew from the USA for the event.

“It’s always a special moment when a project such as this one finally comes to fruition and rolls out onto the racetrack for the first time,” he said.

“This is a significant car for Ford, and this is demonstrated in the resources we’ve put into the project to ensure that we build the best race car possible, within Supercars’ regulations. First signs are positive, and we will continue the testing program over the next few weeks.”

For McLaughlin, who is involved in a winner-takes-all battle for this year’s Supercars crown, the test was an exciting event.

“The car looks awesome. It did everything we could expect of a brand-new race car, and the balance feels pretty close to our current package,” he said.

“Having now driven it, I’m massively excited for the 2019 season to begin.”

Coulthard was also enthusiastic about the car.

“It doesn’t get much more iconic than a Ford Mustang, so be a part of the team that’s bringing this car back into Supercars and Australian touring car racing is pretty special,” he says.