Last month we brought you the story of Ian Lehn and his father, Rick Lehn, and told you about the two that decided to settle their Thanksgiving day differences at the Battle of Big Bend in Texas with a Ford V. Ferrari shootout. They decided they would face off at the open road race. Ian would pilot a 1969 Mustang, and Rick would drive a 2002 Ferrari Modena. And while this contest might sound a little lopsided, Ian had an ace up his sleeve. He relied on the KPE Racing crew in Texas to modify his 1969 Mustang heavily in hopes of competing with the more modern Ferrari. The only issue was time.

In the previous article, we also showed you what modifications were made to the Mustang. The 351 cubic-inch engine was replaced with a BluePrint 347 cubic-inch stroker. The factory suspension was removed in favor of Ridetech’s adjustable coiler suspension. This will definitely help the car at speed and in the twisty section of the Big Bend Open Road Race. The power from the Blueprint 347 is distributed through a McLeod clutch and a Tremec Magnum six-speed transmission from Silver Sport Transmissions. A three-inch driveshaft sends power to a Moser Fab9 rear axle with 3.89 gears, and Willwood breaks on all four corners of the vintage Mustang. Safety is always a concern, so the factory seats were swapped out for Status Racing seats and belts. The belts were attached to a Rhodes Race Cars roll bar that we got from Summit Racing. 

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These images prove that Ian did help us work on the car.

On the last day of the build, all that was left to do was finish up the wiring and install the rest of the factory interior. With the items handled, we loaded the Mustang, dubbed the BOOSTang; since Ian is the owner of BOOSTane, we thought the name was clever and fitting.

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Chase and I buttoned up the car on the last day before it headed out to West Texas.

With the car buttoned up, we were happy to see it make it into the trailer under its own power. Chase Havins, Operations Manager at KPE, and I were certainly nervous about the race. And for good reason. The car was never given much of a shakedown since we had issues with the build, and it came down to the wire. All we could do was keep our fingers crossed and hope the Mustang would stay together for the event. 

The Final Countdown

It was the day before the event, and Chase and I drove through the night to make it to the Big Bend Open Road Race. Ian and his co-driver, Dan Banks, had been driving the car and tried to get as many miles on it as possible to see if there were any issues. As Chase and I pulled up, the hood of the Mustang was open – not a good sign. We discovered that the cause of the raised hood was that Ian took the car on a test run. Ian said, “The car overheated three miles into the shakedown run.” So, we were not off to a good start.

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After arriving in Big Bend, the Boostang was taken to Stable Performance just to make sure everything was race ready.

Upon further inspection we found the electric fans were no longer working which caused the problem. We quickly fixed the ground wires, which was the issue, but the damage was done. When the Mustang overheated, the water pump gaskets pushed out and were now leaking. Chase repaired the problem as best we could with limited resources, and we thought we were race-ready. However, that was not the case.

After we fixed the coolant issue, Ian told us the brakes were very spongy. I hopped in the car to verify while Chase looked the BOOSTang over. As it turned out, the master cylinder was losing fluid, and we couldn’t figure out where. I pumped the brakes up, and Chase yelled, “Found it!” The rubber diaphragm around the cap and master cylinder was leaking, but only when the brakes were applied. So we found some “gasket material” – it was a piece of cardboard from a box – and put it between the rubber diaphragm and the cap to stop the leak.

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It was just hours before race day and Chase had his hands full as we had to troubleshoot the cooling system and brake issues on the '69.

While all this trashing was happening, “Team Ferrari,” Ian’s father, Rick, and his copilot, Chris Conners, were having a great time. They checked tire pressure, went on a joy ride with the A/C, and even joined the Big Bend Open Road Race parade, where the duo tossed candy out to the crowd as they waved to kids and adults alike. Unfortunately, we did not have this laid-back experience. Instead, we were thrashing and wrenching on the Ford, hoping to make it to the race.

It was at this point that Ian hit us with a plot twist. “Hey, did I tell you guys we’re running the car on a prototype synthetic race fuel?” Ian questioned. In incredulity, I shook my head no. Ian continued, “Yeah, and then we’re taking the car to Washington D.C. for the SEMA/PRI Washington Rally.” Chase looked at Ian in disbelief as I shook my head and kept wrenching.

Chase and I thought the car was going to D.C. to promote the internal combustion engine, and BOOSTane’s synthetic racing fuel was super cool. But then we thought, “What if the car doesn’t make it?” The pressure mounted as we ran out of daylight, and we kept our fingers crossed as race day approached.  

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This was the first time the two cars would face off in a modern day Ford V. Ferrari shootout.

Gentleman, Start Your Engines – Ford V. Ferrari

The alarm blared atrociously at 7:00 AM. It was, in fact, race day, whether we were ready or not. We stumbled out of bed and headed to the grid, or so we thought. You see, the Big Bend Open Road Race doesn’t allow spectators. So, we caught a glimpse of the cars headed to the starting grid, and all we could do now was wait. Meanwhile, Ian and Dan were suiting up and getting ready to make a rip.

The first leg of the road race went fairly smoothly for the team.  It was the first time Ian and Rick had raced there, so they met the road with relative caution. They ran the agreed-upon and planned time and speed through the traps but made sure not to overextend themselves. Breaking the speed limit for the class could lead to disqualification. “Everyone knows you can’t win a race if you don’t finish, so we were very cautious,” Ian stated.

Once Ian and Dan reached Sanderson, the halfway point, they rapidly ran a checklist for the car — pressures, fuel, fluid levels, temps, etc.  “We wanted to see the fuel consumption rate of the new synthetic fuel, and I wanted to confirm my hypothesis from BSFC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption), which was confirmed,” Ian explained. “We also made a quick adjustment to the RideTech Suspension, as we needed to remove a minor stiffness out of the rear in a particular section through a mountain pass. The adjustment took less than two minutes; then we were back on the grid.”

The second leg for Ian and Dan was flawless, especially with the suspension adjustments. They ran harder through the sections and considerably closed the gap on the late-model Ferrari. But Chase and I didn’t know anything. In fact, we were anxiously awaiting any news. But none came.

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The cockpits of the the Ford and Ferrari look vastly different.

While I stretched out in the enclosed trailer, Chase paced up and down the fence line frantically for what seemed like hours. Cars were rolling in, but not the ’69 Mustang. That’s when Chase said, “I hear it!” And sure enough, the cream-colored ‘Stang made the corner with the red Ferrari and under its own power, I might add. We had done it; the car had finished the race.

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Here are pictures of the BOOSTang and the Ferrari on the home stretch of the Big Bend Open Road Race.

As Ian piloted the Mustang to the pits, he was met by an onslaught of friends and family, most of which had traveled from Ohio to cheer on the BOOSTang. Chase was beaming with excitement as he managed to build a car in just a couple of months to compete and complete the Big Bend Open Road Race. At this point, we still didn’t know if Ian was able to beat the Ferrari, and it didn’t matter. We were happy the car, Ian, and Dan all returned safely.

Post Race

Since the results were not in yet, Chase bombarded Ian with questions about the car as I looked over everything to ensure it was still good and would make it to the SEMA Rally in D.C. Surprisingly, it all checked out, and the BOOSTang was ready to go.

Months ago, when this adventure started, we were able to take the nearly 60-year-old car with its aged and obsolete parts and quickly found its limit while pushing the Mustang through the paces. We realized the car would never be trusted under any performance circumstance in stock configuration. This test drive told us everything we needed to know about the platform and what needed the most attention. And while we made many modifications, Chase quizzed Ian on his thoughts after the race for feedback.

The first question was about the Ridetech coilover suspension upgrade. The best way to describe what RideTech provides is a car on rails,” Ian explained. “With sustained speeds over 125 mph, there was initial nervousness about how the classic muscle car would handle such a grueling course.” While the BOOSTang was built to be a race car, it was also intended for daily driving, necessitating a suspension that could be easily tuned and adapted for race conditions and street driving. In the research phase, RideTech offered the best solution, and it delivered. “Ridetech truly offers a suspension for any ride and road,” added Ian.

The second question was about how the engine and transmission combo performed. Ian responded, “From a race versus drivability standpoint, the most impressive feature of the BluePrint 347 was the width of the powerband. Low-RPM shifts didn’t result in the engine bogging down when cruising around town, even on inclines.” Fortunately, we also got the Moser 9-inch rear axle and transmission gearing right. Ian said, “Even when racing across desert roads, high-RPM shifts still had plenty of pull left up to 4,800 RPM.”

The final question included the synthetic fuel that was dropped on us at the last minute. Chase asked Ian the specifics of the fuel. Ian told us that, unlike traditional renewable fuels based on ethanol or other alcohols derived from renewable resources, this synthetic fuel is designed to replace gasoline, which Ian proved at this race. Ian also said, “BOOSTane SYN100 can be used in vehicles ranging from a 2025 NISMO GTR to a 1969 Mustang without requiring engine or fuel system modifications, unlike E85, hydrogen, or other biofuels. SYN100 is the first synthetic, 100-octane, drop-in race fuel designed for aftermarket enthusiasts.”

And The Winner Is…

It was around this time that Ian finally got news on race results. As he studied them, he developed a peculiar look on his face. We all stared at him in question. Had we defeated the Italian supercar? Was Ian disqualified for going too fast? Or did we get beaten by the modern Modena? We waited for an answer.

Ian shook his head in disbelief and said, “Well, we didn’t win. The old man beat us by .0004 seconds.” Ian’s goal, to beat his father and establish Ford’s dominance over Ferrari, came up short, four-thousandths of a second too short. To put this in perspective, a blink of the eye is .1-.4 seconds. So, Ian was beaten by the much more sophisticated car by mere millimeters. However, if you asked Rick, it was all about him being a better driver.

At this point, I couldn’t help but smile. Even though we lost a very close race, we proved that with superior aftermarket parts and knowledge, even a dusty old ’69 Mustang could compete with modern technology while testing new parts and making new friends. For Ian, having an unforgettable adventure with his father was undoubtedly the biggest success.

When asked if we would see a second round of the Battle of Big Bend, Ian said, “There is unfinished business. Of course, the trash-talking has only increased from my father and within the industry. The BOOSTang will go back under the knife. Things that had to be ignored will not be this time around.”

The BOOSTang made it to D.C. for the rally, where Ian struck up numerous conversations with members of Congress, talking to them about the ’69 Mustang, Big Bend Open Road Race, and the future of alternative fuels. From there, the car made its way to Mustang Week in Myrtle Beach, Sorth Carolina. There’s even talk of Chase going to Ohio in the fall to prep the car once again, but instead of a race, it will be under the bright lights at the SEMA show in November, where Ian can continue to tell the story of the Battle Of Big Bend Ford V. Ferarri.

A Special Thank You

Thank you Summit Racing, Borgeson, BluePrint Engines, Ridetech Suspension, Silver Sport Transmissions, Moser Engineering, Status Racing Seats, KPE Racing, Never Enough Performance, Ford Muscle, and Street Muscle for all of the support.

“Without those companies and their expertise, this thing would have never taken off.  Industry friends like Kyle Fickler (ProCharger) giving his BBORR experience and advice, Jim Cozzie’s (Ridetech) suspension recommendations, Johnny McDevitt (BluePrint Engines) for the engine direction, and David Durant (Stable Performance) for some inside tips and the car lift in West Texas. However, none of it would have been pulled off without the other father/son duo, Brian and Chase Havins.  Working tirelessly with me to put all of these pieces of the puzzle together, and even working on it when I wasn’t there.” – Ian Lehn

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