[hotwheels]

Race participants in this weekend’s inaugural race for the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup at Road Atlanta have more to look forward to than just the series’ first checkered flag. Series organizers and officials from Ford Racing have announced that the inaugural series champion will earn a seat in a Ford Mustang FR500C in the 2009 season-opening Grand-Am KONI Challenge Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway as a Champion’s Bonus.

The Ford Mustang FR500C that competes in the GS class of the KONI Challenge Series features the 5.0-liter Cammer engine and represents the next step up in the Ford Mustang racing ladder from the FR500S utilized in Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup (FRMC) competition.

“We are excited to offer not just a complete competition ladder for Ford Mustang drivers, but to also help reward their success by creating the opportunity to make that next step up with the chance to race at Daytona in the KONI Challenge,” said Jamie Allison, Manager of the Ford Racing Performance Group, North America.

“The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge is going to be a great place for drivers to hone their skills, and the FR500C has proven to be a highly competitive entry in KONI competition. Hopefully the FRMC Champion can add to the FR500C's long
list of wins again next season."

The Mustang FR500C hit the track in 2005 and won the first KONI Challenge Series race at Daytona, going on to help David Empringham and his Multimatic team win the ‘05 Grand-Am Cup (now KONI Challenge) Driver, Team and Manufacturer Championships.

"The chance to race an FR500C at Daytona is a fantastic opportunity for the first Ford Mustang Racing Challenge Champion," said FRMC Series Manager Lynda Randall. "I don’t think any of our drivers needed any more incentive to race hard for the championship, but this award is certainly going to give them some!"

Additional details regarding the KONI Challenge opportunity at Daytona will be released during the 2008 season. The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup Presented by BFGoodrich Tires will stage its debut race event this coming weekend at Road Atlanta, with the 45-minute race slated for a 2:15 ET start time.