I started going to Irwindale Speedway in the summer of 2006. That’s when I saw the Mustang pace car. Advantage Ford was the track sponsor, so they used Ford tow trucks and other Ford vehicles. 2004 was the first Mustang pace car, then in 2005 they had one too. I knew they went back to the dealer and were sold. So when the 2006 season was over, I told my friends, “I’m going to buy the pace car.” They all laughed.
In the spring of 2007, I happened to be near the Ford dealer and stopped to see if the pace car was still there — and sure enough, it was. After five hours of negotiating, we got to my price and I made a deposit. The next week was opening night for Irwindale Speedway 2007. I told my friends I’d drive that night; they didn’t know I’d bought the pace car, so the look on their faces was priceless.
I drove the car for two years, then decided to make it a race car you could still drive on the street. I’ve put a lot into it since: supercharger, racing cams, complete suspension, headers, Wilwood racing brakes, coilover shocks. It’s fun to drive and street legal — and it still brings a grin every time.
