Jim Farley is not your average car company CEO. A genuine car guy and motorsports enthusiast, the Ford boss has been known to occasionally get behind the wheel of a race car—and he has the podium finishes to prove it. And he looks to repeat that success again this weekend at Laguna Seca.
According to Ford Authority, Farley will be one of 20 drivers taking part in the Mustang Challenge, an IMSA-sanctioned single-make series. Following two 30-minute practices and a single 15-minute qualifying session, each sprint race runs for 45 minutes.
Farley is driving the No. 17 Mustang Dark Horse R, the same vehicle he drove during the series’ inaugural race at Mid-Ohio last year. Saturday’s race is already done (Farley finished 11th), and the green flag will wave again Sunday morning.
Saturday’s entire sprint, in fact, is available to replay on YouTube:
These sessions at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will count as rounds 3 and 4 of the six-track, 12-race season.
A competitor through and through, Farley is not afraid to challenge other auto execs on the track. Confidence in the product, after the 818-horsepower Mustang GTD was unveiled, Farley said, “I’ll take track time in a Mustang GTD against any other auto boss in their best road car.” That’s not a bad idea for a sanctioned race series, actually. Or, at the very least, a Netflix Hyperdrive-style driving competition show. Forget Lando vs Oscar, we wanna see Farley vs Morizo.
Anywho, the Mustang Challenge will stream live via Peacock as well as be shown on the Ford Performance and IMSA YouTube channels.
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Beverly Braga has enjoyed an eventful career as a Swiss Army knife, having held roles as an after-school teacher, film critic, PR manager, transcriber, and video producer – to name a few. She is currently a communications consultant and freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets covering automotive, entertainment, lifestyle, and food & beverage. Beverly grew up in Hawaii but roots for Washington, D.C., sports teams.
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