Early fox racing history.

[Evil86lx]

n Ford’s resurgent racing program of the eighties, Mustang figured prominently from the beginning in 1981. In International MotorSports Association (IMSA) GT racing, the turbocharged Miller Mustang, driven by Klaus Ludwig, came within a 10th of a second of winning its first race over the dominant Porsche 935 Turbos. Ludwig then made the threat a reality with back-to-back victories at Brainerd and Sears Point.

Tom Gloy put a Mustang back in a Trans-Am winner’s circle for the first time in a decade when he won the 1981 season finale at Sears Point.

And, in SCCA road racing, Mustang became the first domestic car ever to win the Showroom Stock ,a national championship, when Ron Smaldone drove his turbo Mustang to victory at Road Atlanta.

By 1984, Ford Division had staked out the IMSA GTO series as Mustang turf. Enter Jack Roush, who was to the Mustang in the eighties what Carroll Shelby was in the sixties.

A Roush-prepared Mustang, driven by Willy T. Ribbs and Wally Dallenbach Jr., won GTO class in the three-hour IMSA ’84 season finale at Daytona. It was the beginning of a Mustang reign as king of GTO.

The following February, Dallenbach, John Jones, and Doc Bundy won GTO class at the Daytona 24 Hours – the first of three consecutive Mustang victories in the season-opening marathon.

John Jones went on to win the’85 GTO drivers’ championship, while nine Mustang victories brought Ford its first road-racing manufacturers’ championship since 1970. Three of those wins belonged to Lynn St. James, the first ever for a woman in the series.

The Roush Mustangs carried on the winning tradition in 1986 with eight more GTO wins and another manufacturers’ title for Ford. Scott Pruett scored seven of those wins and claimed the GTO drivers’ championship, as well as the GT Endurance Championship – with more than a little help from Bruce Jenner.

In drag racing, Rickie Smith drove his Motorcraft Mustang to the semifinals or better at all 11 races on the International Hot Rod Association schedule, and took the IHRA Pro Stock world championship.

The 1987 Daytona 24 hours and one other victory were Mustang’s GTO total for the year. However, Saleen Autosport Mustangs, campaigned by Steve Saleen and Rick Titus, won the SCCA Escort Endurance SSGT championship.


kyle

[AaronATX]

I wonder if most of those cars are still around...like the actual race cars themselves.

[KCoker]

I have Ron Smaldones SCCA SSC Championship car from 1981. I am having new decals made now. Kendal

[massacre]

That's awesome

[Matt_83_GT]

Love it! Please share some pics when the new decals are on!!

[83GTTops]

I have Ron Smaldones SCCA SSC Championship car from 1981. I am having new decals made now. Kendal

So cool!