In an encore performance, a Mustang is once again pacing a major NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The recently unveiled 2011 Mustang V6 has been selected as the pace car for the the Food City 500, coming up this Sunday at Bristol International Speedway.
This is the second time in the current NASCAR Sprint Cup season that a Mustang has paced the field. In February, the 2011 5.0 GT was piloted by NASCAR legend Richard Petty during the pace lap of the Daytona 500.
So what makes the second time so special? No one can remember when two Fords (much less two Mustangs) were selected for pace car duties in a NASCAR single season. What we’re witnessing is recognition of Ford’s commitment to the Mustang, and to continue offering a thrilling ride to the every day performance car enthusiast.
At 305HP, this fuel efficient pony (EPA 31MPG highway) will be more than capable of performing its pace car duties, yet is still the first performance car ever (over 300HP) to achieve greater than 30MPG. The 2011 V6 Mustang is powered by a lightweight, all-aluminum 3.7-liter dual-overhead-cam (DOHC) V-6 engine that uses advanced engineering to deliver its combination of power and economy. Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT) adjusts the valvetrain in microseconds depending on driver inputs, further contributing to the engine’s overall efficiency.
The Food City 500 gets rockin’ at 1PM on Sunday, 3/21/2010, on Fox.
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