Photos: SCCA Pro Racing
While the big dawgs of World Challenge racing were settling scores at the front of the pack, a half dozen ex-Mustang Challenge cars were settling into a new role in the series’ GTS class. For some, this was their third run with the World Challenge group, but for all it was the first time they could run performance enhancing modifications not allowed under the Mustang Challenge series.
The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge ended its three season run last month at Miller Motorsports Park, leaving a field of twenty active races cars with no apparent future. For this event, modifications were allowed.
“The Mustangs all had performance upgrades that equalized out things much more,” explained series Vice President, David Drimmie. “All six ‘Stangs have made commitments to run next year with us and we hope to bring out more.”
Joining the field on the 3.048-mile, 15-turn ‘Outer Course’ at Miller Motorsports Park, were Ben Crossland, in the #25 RPMotorsports Ford Mustang FR500S, George Winkler in the #27 Winkler Automotive Service Ford Mustang FR500S, Richard Golinello with his #55 Grand Sanitation Ford Mustang FR500S, Brad Adams in the #75 RPMotorsports Ford Mustang FR500S and Pratt Cole with the #88 Western Metals/U-SA Cares Ford Mustang FR500S.
Crossland set a blazing pace during the last of the Mustang Challenge races and this competition would be no different for the Salt Lake City 12th-grader. And, so it would be again from the standing srart for this race, the third in Crossland’s short but spectacular resume.
Crossland managed to take the lead from the start, while series champion Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, WI, fell back at the beginning. BY lap six, Cunningham had made his way through the field and set sights on the lead. The 17-year-old Crosland managed to the six-time World Challenge Champion until lap 13 of the race.
Once Cunningham went by Crosland, he opened up a slight gap to the checkered flag for his 40th career World Challenge win, extending his record. Crosland held on for a second-place finish, topping his previous best of fourth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August. George Winkler, from Frederick, MD, held on to take the final step on the podium.
“It was tough, for sure,” Cunningham said. “I got shelled at the start. I don’t know how far I fell back at the start—maybe eighth place, but I got a few back right away. I started to pick them off one at a time. Ben Crosland raced me very clean and was doing an excellent job keeping the tires underneath his car—congratulations to him and that team.”