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HUNT: Spec Racing at its Finest
Written by: James Hunt   
03/30/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
Don’t blink; you will lose eight car lengths. Welcome to spec racing in the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge. Yes, it’s that competitive. Let’s elaborate on the level of competition for a moment. I enter the brake zone for turn six at Homestead Miami Speedway about two feet off the bumper of a competitor in an effort to pressure him into a mistake on which I can capitalize.
Hunt's first foray into the Mustang Challenge series netted him the BFGoodrich award for passing the most cars. (JHR) » More Photos

Good idea, but it only works if I get a perfect run out of the corner. I brake about three feet later than normal, carry just a pinch too much entry speed, understeer past the apex, and watch the two cars in front of me pull away as if I’m parked. I then spent the next 8 laps reeling them back in, earning the BFGoodrich “Take Control” Award for the most positions gained during the race for my efforts.

For me, slogans or acronyms serve as great ways to explain things to people outside of motorsports or to remind myself about simple principles that equate to speed. For example, “smooth is fast”, and “early in, early out”. During Saturday’s race at Homestead, I became familiar with a new slogan: “The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge, The Place to Race”. Whether you are an up and coming driver or a seasoned veteran, the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is a mega smile thrill ride surrounded by people that race to have fun and fuel their passion.

Being a newcomer in any race series poses hurdles to overcome. You have to earn respect from your competitors, you don’t know how the others race, they don’t know how you race, and you are unfamiliar with secret setup tips. For the 2009 season opener of The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge at Homestead I was just that, the newcomer.
Having never raced the Ford FR500 S nor raced at Homestead either, I was on a steep learning curve. With this in mind I entered the weekend expecting a dog fight for every inch of pavement, let alone a position, and I was right.
In action during the Mustang Challenge race at Homestead. (JHR) » More Photos

In a spec racing series with equivalent cars the slightest mistake can equate to losing a second a lap, ouch. During qualifying I had such an error that cost me dearly and I ended up 13th on the grid. Not bad for a first outing, but still not close enough to where I wanted to be, on pole. I had my work cut out for me as passing in spec racing is never easy.

While the jovial atmosphere and camaraderie is genuine, when you strap in on race day it’s game time. Starting 13th in a sprint race is tough as races are only 45 minutes vs. the 2 ½ hour races I’m used to in Grand-Am. The best way to describe the start of the race is controlled chaos. I ended up swapping position multiple times on lap one as well as running two wide where I didn’t think it to be possible. After narrowly avoiding being collected in an accident that took place behind me I settled into a rhythm and started calculating my moves. At about the half way point through the race we had a yellow that bunched us up. On the restart I was able to seize an opportunity to gain two positions.



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