Miller Motorsports Park news 2011-01-18

Two Miller Motorsports Park-Associated Cars to be Auctioned for Charity at Barrett-Jackson

Hurst Mustang Pace Car and Ford Mustang FR500S to Benefit Children's Charities

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (January 18, 2011) -- Two very special Ford Mustangs associated with Miller Motorsports Park will be auctioned for charity at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., on January 17-23, 2011.

The first, a 2010 Hurst Mustang Pace Car (Lot #1551, scheduled to be auctioned on Sunday, January 23), is a one-of-a-kind custom Mustang GT convertible that was created by Hurst as an homage to the iconic Hurst muscle cars of the 1960s to pace the field for the 2010 Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series, which was founded and operated by Miller Motorsports Park. The Hurst Mustang features a supercharged 550-hp engine and a full complement of Ford Racing Performance Parts. The Mustang also carries Hurst's signature custom black-and-gold paint scheme and custom leather interior, plus 20-inch aluminum wheels shod with BFGoodrich g-Force T/A® KDW tires. This marks the first time that Hurst has worked with Ford Racing to produce a special vehicle.

The winning bidder will receive a 30"x40" original Roger Warrick painting depicting its debut during the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge race at Virginia International Raceway in April 2010. This program was sponsored by Hurst, Ford Racing, Larry H. Miller Dealerships, BFGoodrich Tires, Whelen Engineering and Roger Warrick. All proceeds benefit The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. The foundation, formed in 2006, is dedicated to reducing and eliminating suffering due to childhood and adolescent cancers and providing survivors the services needed to live meaningful and productive lives.

"Miller Motorsports Park and the Larry H. Miller Dealerships have gone above and beyond the call of duty with their support for the Austin Hatcher Foundation," said Jim Osborn, co-founder and chairman of the board of the Austin Hatcher Foundation. "The income generated from this auction will go a long way toward improving the quality of life for childhood cancer survivors."

The second car is a brand-new 2008 Ford Mustang FR500S (Lot #1018, scheduled to be auctioned on Friday night, January 21), one of 77 cars constructed for the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge series. SPX has joined forces with Ford Racing, Miller Motorsports Park, the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School, Stand 21, SPEEDCOM Communications and Capaldi Racing to create a turn-key package that will take you from the bidding floor at Barrett-Jackson straight to the starting grid for the 2011 SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge Championship. The car has been modified by Capaldi Racing with Ford Racing Performance Parts to meet World Challenge specifications. Horsepower was increased from 325hp to 400hp.

The Ford Racing High Performance Driving School at Miller Motorsports Park, the only official Ford Racing driving school, will put the winning bidder or their appointed driver through a four-day race-training school that will result in a racing license accepted by the SCCA. SPX will provide a sponsorship package to the winning bidder to help fund their racing program. Add in a full complement of racewear from Stand 21 as well as pit equipment and tools, and the SPX Racing Experience will provide one lucky bidder everything needed to go racing in one of America's most competitive professional road racing series. All proceeds from this sale will go directly to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, whose mission is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.

This is the second Ford Mustang FR500S that has been offered for auction by SPX, with last year's auction raising $275,000 for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"SPX and Miller Motorsports Park have been extremely proud of their partnership to bring such great cars to auction at Barrett-Jackson to benefit the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital," said Dave Kowalski, President of the Test and Measures Group at SPX Corporation. "The money raised as a result of the auctions will help to further research and assist sick children and their families. We at SPX are extremely grateful for the efforts of everyone who made this possible for St. Jude."

"Miller Motorsports Park brings interesting Mustangs to Barrett-Jackson every year to auction for charity, and it's always a pleasure to work with them," said Gary Bennett, vice president of consignment for Barrett-Jackson. "It is a great organization with wonderful people whose hearts are in the right place, and we look forward to raising a lot of money for the Austin Hatcher Foundation and the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this year in Scottsdale."

-source: mmp