The Shelby GT350 bursted onto the scene last year as the new top-of-the-line, race-ready Mustang for the sixth-generation pony car. It’s understandable that people would get excited for the new GT350, as it marked the return of the original Shelby Mustang to showroom floors. But in all of that excitement, some may have forgotten that just a few years ago, it was the Boss 302 Mustang that was generating all the buzz at the race track.

Thankfully, there are still drivers such as Nate Stacy who regularly flog a Boss 302 Mustang around the racetrack in pursuit of checkered flags. So, take a moment off from drooling over the new Shelby, and enjoy the brutal sound of a Boss hot lapping the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Stacy, who sits in fourth place overall in the GTS class of the Pirelli World Championship Series, has already proven that the Boss 302 is still one tough customer to tangle with (despite being based on the last generation Mustang). We should also mention at this point that Stacy is a mere 16 years old, beating drivers more than twice his age, respectively.

Pirelli World Challenge – Mid Ohio

Cleveland.com reporter Elton Alexander had the chance to take a ridealong with Stacy around the 2.4 mile Mid-Ohio race course. The fearless Stacy had no problem taking the Boss up to speeds of 140 MPH in the straightaways before dipping below 10 MPH in some of the tighter corners Mid-Ohio offers. Considering that Stacy couldn’t even legally drive when the new Boss 302 returned for the 2012 and 2013 model years, he’s wasted no time in making these Mustangs work for him.

If he makes it on the podium this year, it will be undeniable proof that the Boss could still be ‘the boss’ of the race track.