Along with the debut of the 2011 Mustang GT with its new 5.0-liter V8 engine, Ford has announced that a race version of the car will compete in the Grand Am Series. Called the BOSS 302R, the car is named after the car legendary racer Parnelli Jones drove to the Trans-Am title back in 1970. Five of the Boss 302s will compete at the 2010 season opener at Daytona.

Based on the FR500C Mustang racecar, which Ford brought back in 2005 and updated last year. A base BOSS 302R will be available for $79,000, while a full Grand Am Spec model will retail for $129,000. In total just 50 BOSS 302 R’s will be built.

Grand Am spec models get a special Grand-Am Homologation Package (M-FR500-BOSS R1), which makes them eligible to compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (formerly known as KONI Challenge). It includes a close-ratio six-speed transmission, upgraded cooling system, a seam-welded body, race suspension and KONI shocks, ABS brake tuning, a race exhaust and a one-piece driveshaft.

By sending five cars to Daytona, Ford is hoping to recreate some of the magic from 2005 when the FR500C ran their and took its class victory, just days after being delivered to its owner. Since then the FR500C models have won three Triple Crown championships of driver, team and manufacturer’s titles in KONI competition including back-to-back wins in 2008 and 2009, while overseas the FR500C has has taken the 2007 and 2008 driver’s championships in the FIA GT4 class.

“To keep pace with consumer demand, the Ford team has built modern versions of the most iconic performance Mustangs over the years,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “From Shelbys to Bullitt, Mach and Cobra Jet, it is now time for BOSS to join the list of America’s most coveted Mustangs. The original BOSS 302 was a championship-winning legend and the new Mustang BOSS 302R will carry on the tradition. The Mustang was born to race from the start, and this new Mustang is bred to win.”

GALLERY: BOSS 302R

Official release after the jump:

FORD RACING UNVEILS THE NEXT GENERATION OF RACING MUSTANG IN THE NEW BOSS 302R

New Mustang BOSS 302R

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 28, 2009 – Forty years after its namesake became a road racing legend, the BOSS is back on track for 2010 with a new 5.0-liter V-8 engine.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Trans-Am championship in a Mustang BOSS 302 prepared by Bud Moore Engineering, Ford Racing is introducing the BOSS 302R, a factory-built race car ready for track days and road racing in a number of Grand-Am, SCCA and NASA classes.

“To keep pace with consumer demand, the Ford team has built modern versions of the most iconic performance Mustangs over the years,” said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports. “From Shelbys to Bullitt, Mach and Cobra Jet, it is now time for BOSS to join the list of America’s most coveted Mustangs. The original BOSS 302 was a championship-winning legend and the new Mustang BOSS 302R will carry on the tradition. The Mustang was born to race from the start, and this new Mustang is bred to win.”

The Mustang BOSS 302R is a serialized off-road-only vehicle ready to race. Each base model will come with a 5.0-liter four-valve engine and a six-speed manual transmission with a roll cage, race seats, safety harness, data acquisition and race dampers/springs, and a Brembo brake and tire package, starting at an MSRP of $79,000.

And, with a special Grand-Am Homologation Package (M-FR500-BOSS R1), it will also be ready to compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series (formerly known as KONI Challenge), starting with the season-opening race in Daytona on Jan. 29, 2010. As of today, five BOSS 302R race cars will be delivered to customers ready to race in Daytona. MSRP of the BOSS 302R1 is $129,000.

The Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge-ready Mustang BOSS 302R will feature a sealed high-output race engine with an upgraded cooling system, a close-ratio six-speed transmission with integral shifter, a seam-welded body, race suspension/KONI dampers and ABS brake tuning, race performance exhaust and a high-speed balance one-piece driveshaft.

The BOSS 302R follows in the very successful footsteps of its most recent road racing predecessor – the Mustang FR500C from Ford Racing. In 2005, when the Mustang FR500C debuted at Daytona, the first car was delivered on Wednesday of that week and won the KONI Challenge race on Friday.

In five years of competition since then, the Mustang FR500C has won three Triple Crown championships of driver, team and manufacturer’s titles in KONI competition including back-to-back (2008 and 2009). The FR500C has also seen success in FIA GT4 competition winning the 2007 and 2008 driver’s championships.

“We expect the BOSS 302R to continue the successful tradition of winning with factory-built production-based race cars from Ford Racing,” said Allison. “The FR500C and FR500S road racing Mustangs, and the Mustang FR500CJ (Cobra Jet) for drag racing have proven to be great cars for our customers, helping teams win races and championships. We believe that the BOSS 302R will provide that same sort of competitive product for our customers with the tradition you can only get from Ford Racing.”

Each Ford Racing factory-built production-based turnkey race car has won its competition debut.

“Racing has long served as a technical proving grounds for production engines,” said Allison. “What’s good enough for the streets is now good enough for the racetrack. The 5.0-liter block and architecture in the Mustang BOSS 302R is the same as the 2011 Mustang GT.”

“We have a great team on the BOSS 302R project,” said Andy Slankard, Ford Racing engineering supervisor and the lead engineer on the BOSS 302R project. “Between our partners at AutoAlliance International, where the Mustang is built, Team Mustang, Multimatic and the entire Ford Racing team, we have once again proven to be a leader in turnkey production-based race cars.”

Available through Ford dealers, a total of 50 BOSS 302R Mustangs will be built by Ford Racing. Delivery is anticipated in the third quarter of 2010.

When we arrived at Kia’s SEMA Show booth, PR boss Alex Fedorak told us that we had guessed correctly – the big announcement, as we correctly surmised, was that Kia is going racing in 2010.

Kia will be racing in the Grand Am Koni Challenge series in a race prepped version of its Forte Koup, taking on competitors like the Honda Civic and BMW 328i. The company is expected to field a two car effort although just one vehicle has been confirmed. The announcement marks the first time Kia will go racing on U.S. soil.

Kinetic Motorsports built the car for Kia, using the same 2.4-liter 4-cylinder motor but tuned to around 220-hp.

Kinetic is no stranger to fielding successful race cars and so Kia also went looking for some seriously talented drivers and found them in Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson. Lally has been driving in the Grand-Am Rolex series and even won the 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class just last year. Lally also races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck series, ARCA and Goodies Dash. Jönsson has numerous titles to his name with a long history in Grand-Am and ALMS.

“The Forte Koup is the latest chapter in the dramatic Kia brand transformation story, and the decision to enter into the motorsports arena was an easy one to make,” said Michael Sprague, VP of marketing at Kia Motors America.  “The Forte Koup’s performance-inspired styling and outstanding driving dynamics make it a natural fit for road racing, and competing in GRAND-AM’s KONI Challenge Series enables us to reach an entirely new and passionate base of automotive enthusiasts. We expect the Forte Koup to be a strong competitor in the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series starting with the first race in Daytona.

Kia is looking to build itself as a performance company and the Forte Koup as a performance car and plans to use this racing initiative to do just that. In speaking to some of the people involved in the Forte Koup race car build, we should expect to see Kia offer performance parts and accessories through its dealership network in the near future.

GALLERY: Kinetic Motorsports Kia Forte Koup

Official release after the jump:

KIA MOTORS AMERICA UNVEILS U.S. MOTORSPORTS PROGRAM

Forte Koup Will Enter GRAND-AM KONI Sports Car
Challenge Series Street Tuner (ST) Class

* Kia Motors and Kinetic Group team up to build and campaign race cars for the automaker’s first-ever auto racing efforts on U.S. soil

* Decorated drivers Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson to pilot Kia Forte Koup race cars

LAS VEGAS, November 3, 2009 – The all-new 2010 Kia Forte Koup’s motto – “One Hot Ride” – took on a new meaning today as Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled its U.S. motorsports program at the 2009 SEMA Show.  KMA has teamed with the Kinetic Group to build and campaign two Forte Koups in the 2010 GRAND-AM KONI Sports Car Challenge Series in the Street Tuner (ST) class.

“The Forte Koup is the latest chapter in the dramatic Kia brand transformation story, and the decision to enter into the motorsports arena was an easy one to make,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA.  “The Forte Koup’s performance-inspired styling and outstanding driving dynamics make it a natural fit for road racing, and competing in GRAND-AM’s KONI Challenge Series enables us to reach an entirely new and passionate base of automotive enthusiasts.”

The GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Street Tuner (ST) class utilizes production-based race cars and has a wide variety of vehicles from the U.S., Europe and Asia, using weight and intake restrictions to maintain a level playing field for all entrants.

“We researched every form of auto racing in the U.S. to find a fan base that was aligned with our target demographics, and found GRAND-AM to be the perfect fit,” said Sprague.  “In addition to working with the Kinetic Group, we are also proud that Infinity Audio, whose high-end audio systems are offered in several Kia vehicles, will join us as the Official Sponsor of the #10 Kia Forte Koup Race Car during our inaugural motorsports season.”

As part of its motorsports team development, KMA identified and partnered with the Kinetic Group to develop, build and campaign the two Forte Koup KONI Challenge spec cars.  Based outside of Atlanta, Kinetic provides a comprehensive array of in-house services, including fabrication, composites, paint and body, engine, and electronics departments.  Kinetic’s staff of engineers, mechanics and crew have extensive race experience in many series, including NASCAR, Indy Racing League, the American Le Mans Series and the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series. Completing the team, decorated drivers Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson have been secured to drive the two Forte Koup entries in the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series in 2010.

“We expect the Forte Koup to be a strong competitor in the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series starting with the first race in Daytona, and the fact that drivers of Andy and Nic’s caliber have joined the team reinforces that expectation,” said Sprague.  “Building on our involvement in the GRAND-AM KONI Challenge Series and in an effort to introduce the Kia brand to even more racing fans, apparel maker GoGoGear.com has created a highly modified version of the popular Soul urban passenger vehicle which will serve as the official pace car at several races throughout the 2010 US Touring Car Championship (USTCC) season.”

About the Drivers
In the last seven years, driver Andy Lally has three professional championships – 2006, 2004 and 2001 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series – and recently won the 2009 Rolex 24 At  Daytona in the GT class.  In addition to three Championships and two Rolex 24 wins, Lally currently holds the record for most top 3 and top 5 finishes in GRAND-AM Rolex Series history as well as the record for most podium finishes in a single season. He is third on the all time win list and the only three-time Rolex Series Champion.  Lally also has stock car racing experience, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Craftsman Trucks, ARCA and Goodies Dash.

Kia appears to be readying an announcement that for 2010 it will launch a motorsports initiative using the Forte Koup.

We just received a brief (very brief) email from Kia Motors America stating that the Korean automaker will, “be accelerating its brand transformation” with an announcement at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) Show next week. Included with that announcement was the above photo.

Don’t be fooled by the badges and decals, however, as this is no SEMA show car. It appears to be a race ready Forte Koup, with the colors and badging being that of Kinetic Motorsports. Kinetic has long been involved in the Grand Am series an we suspect the announcement will be a car (or team) that will compete in next year’s Koni Challenge Series.

Kinetic does also run the Kinetic Speed Shop, for street legal performance, so there is also a strong possibility that Kinetic will be offering a full line of performance parts for the Forte Koup.

If we’re really lucky, Kia will announce both.

We’ll find out for sure next Tuesday, November 3rd on the first day of the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Be sure to check back for AutoGuide’s live SEMA coverage starting then.

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

The Corvettes, Porsches and Vipers that compete in the SPEED World Challenge GT series are about to get some serious competition from a serious car – the Mercedes McLaren SLR 722 GT. The car was homolgated to World Challenge specs by The Racers Group (TRG) and our sources at the series tell us it will first see competition at the Autobahn County Club outside Chicago on July 24-26th.

Designed specifically to run it a spec series in Europe, the 722 GT is powered by a modified version of the supercharged 5.5-liter V8 and makes 680hp and 612 ft-lbs of torque. It also only weighs 3,200 lbs, meaning it can accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds. Thanks to some serious aerodynamics and a significantly lowered ride height, the 722 GT is also capable of hitting 2 Gs in the corners.

No doubt the SCCA (the governing body for World Challenge) will level the playing field, forcing the SLR to either add weight or reduce horsepower… or probably both.

TRG Motorsports should still put on quite a show with the SLR as the team has plenty of racing experience, running cars in the Grand-Am Koni Challenge as well as in the Grand-Am Rolex Series. In 2005 and 2006 TRG competed with a Pontiac GTO.R team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT class, and has since been involved with a two-car Porsche effort in the GT Class.

See the Speed World Challenge series website for more info:

http://www.world-challenge.com/

Follow the jump for all the specs on the McLaren SLR 722 GT

[Source: TheRacersGroup]

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT Information

The Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR 722 GT raises the bar for high-class motorsports. The idea of developing a racing version of the SLR came from motoring enthusiasts of the Mercedes Benz brand. Renowned British race car manufacturer Ray Mallock Limited Group (RML) in England modified +400 components of the production Coupe SLR to create this racing car version. Among the most significant modifications is a higher-output supercharged 5.5-litre V8 MB (AMG) engine producing 500 kW or 680 HP and a maximum torque of 830 Newton meters.

New body components such as the front apron with splitter, wider rear fenders, and a large rear diffusor, including the wing, reflect the extensive aerodynamic development work. New suspension and brakes allowing wider wheels, resulting in higher cornering speed. The interior of the SLR 722 GT is characterized by the functional atmosphere of a thoroughbred racing machine.

TRG Motorsports, in collaboration with RML, has further developed the car to to meet the sporting regulations to race professionally here in North America.

A limited number of cars can be delivered in the Spring / Summer 2009, from the TRG Motorsports facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Technical Specification

-Engine power: 680hp/500kW
-Maximum torque: 830Nm @ 6200 rpm
-Gear box: Newly (2009) fitted 6 gear sequential
-0 to 100kph: 3.3 seconds
-Top speed: 320 km/h
-Maximum lateral G: 2.0g
-Fuel tank capacity: 95 litres
-Ride height adjustability: +/- 20mm from static
-Ground clearance: 70 – 50mm
-Dry weight: 1450kg
-Overall dimensions: L = 4660mm, W = 1995mm, H =1210mm
-Disc brakes: F Brembo six pot, 380 DIA. X35mm, R Brembo four pot,355 DIA. X28mm
-Suspension: Fully adjustable double wishbone front and rear suspension
-Rim size front and rear: 18” x 12” , 18” x 13”
-Tire size front and rear: 30/65 – 18 S8D, 30/65 – 18 Comp A slicks
-Wheelbase: 2700mm
-Track width front and rear: 1660mm/1620mm

News has just surfaced that Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy), will race at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ferrari F430 GT race car.

Dempsey will race alongside co-drivers Don Kitch Jr. and 2008 Gran Am Koni Challenge Champion Joe Foster under the team name Team Seattle. The Ferrari race car will be prepared bu Advanced Engineering.

Team Seattle, which was founded by Kitch, has been operating for 12 years, working to create awareness and support of Seattle’s Children’s Hospital.

Dempsey, it should be noted, is not new to racing, having competed in the 2008 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car series with Hypersport Engineering in a Mazda RX-8. Dempsey will continue to be involved in the 2009 season as he purchased Hypersport Engineering, which will now run under the banner of Dempsey Racing.

When asked about his Le Mans effort, Dempsey had this to say: “while we remain 100% committed to our Mazda-powered Rolex Series program this opportunity to ally with Team Seattle and enhance its efforts to drive funding to Seattle Children’s Hospital and their Team France partner is an opportunity that Dempsey Racing is honored to accept.”

Kitch was eager to show his appreciation to Dempsey and commented that, “Patrick is by no means new to the Team Seattle campaign as he has been very supportive of the effort since we first met at the Daytona 24 Hour… he loved what we were doing and wanted to help in any way he could.”

The 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place on June 13-14.

[Source: ColdTrackDays]