2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 challenges giants on the observe
It’s mid-afternoon at Gingerman Raceway in Western Michigan, the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350’s tires are heat, the Recaro bucket seat is digging into my hips, and the skies appear like they’re able to open up. I need to strive a brand new racing line on my fourth and certain last observe session, and see if I can get a catchy tune out of this tuba.
I drove the revised 2019 GT350 at Detroit’s M1 Concours simply few weeks in the past, and now I’ve it for a half day of observe driving. To date, I’ve put up a time within the mid 1:43s, and that simply doesn’t really feel adequate. This automobile is extra succesful than that. The brand new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are simply too good. The rear finish is just too settled.
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day, photograph courtesy of James Fontaine
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day, photograph courtesy of James Fontaine
Shelbys of a feather
Serendipity performs a component at this time. One other driver is right here with a brand new 2019 Shelby GT350 of his personal, and that is his fourth observe day in simply 1,700 miles of possession. He approached me to introduce himself earlier within the day and later he advised me he ran a time of 1:40.13. What provides? I’ve been round this observe sufficient instances to assume he’s possible not that a lot sooner than me.
His identify is Jason Nichols. He’s a CPA from LaPorte, Indiana, and he’s adjusted the automobile’s camber plates to run with -2.5 levels of camber within the again, -2.three levels on the suitable entrance, and -2.6 levels on the left entrance. I’m working the inventory setup, which supplies the automobile -1.1 levels of entrance camber and -1.2 levels of rear camber. Extra destructive camber equals extra contact patch in turns and due to this fact extra grip, in order that’s possible why he’s sooner, however not three seconds sooner.
To see if there’s one thing else I’m lacking, I rode with him for a number of laps to recon his line and his driving model. I seen he’s braking later and carrying extra velocity than me in some turns, each of which you’d do with extra grip.
He additionally confirmed me a special line by flip 10B, which is a 180-degree right-hander that leads onto the longest straight. Basically, the entry to this flip is a throwaway, so he takes it on the within, thus shortening it as a substitute of getting out to the left to attempt to construct extra velocity by a nook that’s so lengthy it gained’t allow extra velocity anyway. Throughout these few laps he put up a time within the 1:41s.
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day, photograph courtesy of James Fontaine
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day, photograph courtesy of James Fontaine
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day, photograph courtesy of James Fontaine
Go time
Now it’s time to take my shot at reducing into the three-second hole between our instances. I begin the Harry’s LapTimer app on my iPhone, which appears to be all the fashion with the crew assembled at this non-public observe day, hit file on the GoPro (solely to be taught later that the mini SD card was full—thus the slower accompanying video), then head off for an eight-lap run.
The technique is identical as I’ve used all day: drive the tires off this factor, figuratively. So much comes collectively within the 2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 to make it an awesome observe automobile, however the tires are the primary cause it’s assuredly sooner than it has been since its 2016 launch.
The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s are particularly efficient within the turns 5-6 double apex. As I strategy this flip, I brake, however not as onerous as I usually would, flip in, belief that the grip is there, get it out the primary apex, then dive to second apex utilizing slight bits of braking to regulate the angle of the nostril. Then it’s again on it to trace out. The flat-plane crank 5.2-liter V-Eight awakens and sounds it mighty howl.
The Cups 2s let me carry extra velocity by turns Eight and 9, which implies I’m at or approaching 100 mph coming into 10B. That’s most likely Eight mph sooner than I’ve been in some other automobile.
Popping out of 10B, I head onto that lengthy straight, and that is the one spot on the observe that the high-revving 5.2-liter V-Eight wants one other gear. I let it wind as much as Eight,000 rpm earlier than shifting to fourth (earlier, I rode in a good friend’s 2014 Mustang GT and located he must seize fifth right here and has to much more shifting all through the observe). I run it as much as 124 mph, hit the brakes, then it’s again down to 3rd for flip 11.
I cross the beginning/end line, brake earlier than the GT350 crests the hill in entrance of flip 1, and experiment with shifting to second gear for this tight lefthander. It appears to work effectively because the engine asks for third proper at observe out of the flip 2 righthander that follows flip 1 so intently. From there, it’s third all the best way to that lengthy straight.
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Gingerman Raceway observe day, photograph courtesy of James Fontaine
As I end my run, the sky is even darker, and the journey laptop says I’ve 25 miles of vary left, although it’s calculating that based mostly on the 5.zero mpg I’m averaging throughout observe driving. There’s nonetheless an hour of observe time left, however by the point I’m going get gasoline, the rain arrives and my observe antics are over.
That’s OK as a result of knowledge from the Harry’s LapTimer app reveals I posted three laps within the 1:41s, and probably two extra. My greatest official time is a 1:41.61, although the unusual three:22.58 suggests the app didn’t acknowledge the beginning/end line and timed two laps as one. That will common out to a time of 1:41.29.
I’m happy and, the truth is, knowledgeable. Evaluating my time versus Jason’s suggests the adjustable camber plates (which value $850 and include the rear spoiler’s optionally available Gurney flap) are good for 1-1.5 seconds on a twisty 2.14-mile observe like Gingerman.
Each instances additionally present how unbelievable this automobile performs. My 1:41:61 is sort of precisely 1 second off the perfect time I ever achieved at this observe, a 1:40.64 final yr in a Nissan GT-R Monitor Version. Priced at $64,860 with just some extras, the GT350 prices about half as a lot as that automobile, and as Jason confirmed, it could actually really be faster with the camber adjusted.
That’s a fairly candy tune for a tuba or a Mustang.
Gingerman observe instances
2019 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350: 1:41.61
2018 Nissan GT-R Monitor Version: 1:40.64
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio: 1:48.39*
2016 Ford Focus RS: 1:43.15
2016 Cadillac ATS-V: 1:46.22
* Just one session
