PRI 2015: Five Star Unveils First 2016 Mustang Carbon Fiber Body

Five Star RaceCar Bodies seems to make a splash each and every year at the PRI Show, with another all-new body developed specifically for drag racing. Last year, it was the new Chevrolet Camaro Top Alcohol Funny Car body, and this year, they’ve targeted the doorslammer arena with the very first S550 (2015-16) Ford Mustang body.

The car, which belongs to MMR Racing and will be driven in Pro Mod by Mark Luton, features the first product body out of the Five Star shop.

This particular car, sporting the first production body from Five Star, was built by Jerry Haas Race Cars for Mark Luton and Team MMR.

“This new body style has been out for a while, and there’s been some demand for it in the market. Some of the chassis builders were dying to get a newer body, and we just didn’t have time to get to it, as we were booked with development on some other projects. But this summer, we got to work on it and got it finished and turned around pretty quickly and off to [chassis builder] Jerry Haas to get the car ready bring here to the show,” says Five Star’s Corey Schultz.

It really doesn’t share any dimensions with an OEM Mustang body, but we try to keep as much of the identity there as possible. – Cory Schultz, Five Star Race Car Bodies

Haas has “steered the ship” in the development of the body, as did Don Ness of Don Ness Race Cars, who provides consultation in the aerodynamics department.

Five Star built the body off the general dimensions of the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Dart Pro Stock bodies, and as such, they believe they will be quite competitive aerodynamically in head-to-head competition. With the blessing from Ford, the body will be approved by NHRA for Pro Stock competition.

“It really doesn’t share any dimensions with an OEM Mustang body, but we try to keep as much of the identity there as possible. Sometimes, that identity goes away when you start stretching and narrowing it, but we try to not go that way,” Schultz says. “We like to follow the lines of the factory vehicle.”

As with many of their composite bodies, Five Star will offer the 2016 Mustang in Advanced Lightweight, Carbon Fiber, and Ultra Light Carbon Fiber versions, with the weights estimated to be right in line with the Chevrolet Camaro, which is 73, 63, and 53 pounds, respectively.