Greeted by the whirr of big-power cars rocking the rollers on a chassis dyno, we rolled into Myrtle Beach Speedway to the sounds of tires squealing around cones and the sights of Mustangs orbiting the oval at speed. This is our kinda place. From the informal gathering at the Meet ’N Greet, Mustang Week revved up into a three-ring automotive circus for its second day on the Grand Strand.
That’s what it’s all about — making people happy. — Rodney Melton, Mustang Week
While hard parking is definitely encouraged throughout the week, today was the first of two days that Mustang Week participants could blow the cobwebs out on an actual race track. From fun runs ripping around the oval to autocross laps and drifting demonstrations to burnouts, the second day of the event really dials up the fun factor.
You wouldn’t expect to find one of Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s SEMA stallions collecting dust at a Nissan dealership, but that’s just where Josh Parker scooped up this widebody 2018 for a song. Despite only owning it for three weeks before the event, he already added an air suspension and a full complement of UPR Products upgrades at his own shop, Parker Performance.
“I think it’s going awesome,” Rodney Melton, of Mustang Week, said. “I think we got over the moving hurdle Now we are just tracking toward normal Mustang Week. People are happy and sponsors are happy, so we are happy. That’s what it’s all about — making people happy.”
Attendees at the speedway are able to take laps in their own cars around Myrtle Beach Speedway. These Fun Runs, sponsored by Stifflers, are just one facet of Mustang Week that makes it more than just a car show.
Ultimately, that’s what this event is all about, getting out and enjoying your car with like-minded people, and from the looks of today, people were definitely having fun. From Foxes to the latest Mustangs, we saw a wide variety of ponies galloping around the facility, and getting out and driving these keeps that enthusiasm alive for a new generation.
Closing down Wednesday’s official activities is always the SVTPerformance.com Burnout Contest, and this car looked like a real contender. Andrew Kostecki is an Aussie who wants to bring those crazy Down Under burnout competitions to The States via the American Burnout Challenge. His personal tire-shredder is powered by a 671-blown, 400-inch Windsor burning alcohol supplied by a mechanical fuel injection system. It puts out 1,675 horsepower, which should kill lots of tires, but Andrew still drives this SN-95 on the street. Andrew will bring Aussie rules to the MW Burnout Contest when he takes it over in 2019.
Another event that keeps Mustang Week more active is the Gateway Classic Autocross. It allows participants to carve up cones in their personal Mustangs, and ride with experienced drivers to see how it’s done.
Tomorrow the action heads to North Myrtle Beach drag strip for the UPR Products-sponsored Test ’N Tune, so get ready for more burnouts and some quick-straight line runs. For more details on the event, you can check out the official schedule here.
A highlight of the day’s proceedings is a drifting demonstration courtesy of the Professional Fun Haver himself, Vaughn Gittin Jr. He was on hand showing of his swag and RTR Vehicle lineup in between annihilating Nitto tires on the speedway oval. Some lucky show-goers were selected for ride-alongs, which never cease to impress. Two of them were Mustang RTR Spec 2 owners, Matthew Buoye and Caleb Volker. “It’s the ride of your life,” Matthew enthused. “It’s very exciting and you have a smile about two days afterward.”
Tyler Conner took home the win in the burnout contest. To take the cake he kept the tires burning consistently until both the engine and tires popped. For his trouble he took home a set of new rubber from Zenna Tires, which sponsors drifter Jonathan Nerren.
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