Jun '10

Written by James Ray | 31 May 2010

James Ray's NASA Racer - Part II

Article courtesy of Steeda Autosports

It is safe to say that James Ray was seriously bitten by the performance bug back in 2008 when he took his "daily driver" – a 2007 Steeda Q400 to the race track and competed in a series of weekend events throughout the year. With the solid performance of his Steeda Mustang under his belt and the natural talent he acquired for winning, James captured the NASA Time Trial Championship in 2008.

Not wanting to sit still, James began preparing a "purpose built" race car to compete in the NASA Camaro-Mustang Challenge Series. The series rules require that the cars engine be basically stock, yet allows for required safety equipment and other minor modifications.

But James and his son Taylor had a formula for success: Take a Ford Racing body-in-white and sprinkle in various parts from a salvaged 2007 Mustang GT, then season them with a host of Steeda suspension parts that are made in the USA. Put them all together and the end result is nothing short of spectacular: A highly competitive race-car capable of spanking the competition back to the starting line every time it races!

After a shake down weekend at Virginia International Raceway where he checked the car out at speed and verified it's readiness, James made the trip last weekend to Carolina Motosports Park to compete in his very first NASA Southeast event.

The result: He qualified 1st in both Saturday's and Sunday's events, and when the checkered flag dropped – James recorded his first two victories finishing on top of the podium in his very first NASA-SE race weekend! All of this was done on a limited budget - proving that competitive racing is available to everyone.

Congratulations to James Ray and his son Taylor for once again showing how competitive a Mustang built with Steeda components can be. Look for James and his son Taylor at future NASA Southeast and Mid-Atlantic events events at Carolina Motorsports Park, Roebling Road, Charlotte Motor Speedway, VIR and Road Atlanta and other venues this year.