Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup. » More Photos

“The odds were huge that it was going to rain today, but it didn’t so we just stuck with plan B, which was to go with what you are given,” said Slone. “It was great to take the lead at the start but I think I was driving in my mirrors too much and I ended up making a mistake and giving up the lead. But it feels great to be up here with these guys, who have all raced for championships and have so much experience. I want to thank GoPro/Molecule for supporting me and helping me get to this point. I really wanted to win this first Mustang Challenge race, but I’m still really happy with this result. Congrats to Andrew, he’s a clean racer and we had a great fight out there.”

Cole, who has miles of experience racing against Caddell in MX-5 competition, was pleased to move up to take a podium finish, but had some ideas about where Caddell should race in the future.

“I raced against Andrew all last year in the MX-5 Series, and I think I might want to sponsor him so he can go back and race there!” joked Cole. “It was a lot of fun out there, and the restarts were really exciting. It was a great weekend and I think this series is going to be a ton of fun.”

The Road Atlanta race, held in conjunction with HSR’s Walter Mitty weekend, marked the result of months of preparation for series organizers, as the idea made rapid progression from concept to rolling reality as the Ford Racing Mustang competition ladder added a new and exciting level of racing in a short amount of time.

“I couldn’t be happier with the way the weekend turned out,” said Series Director Lynda Randall. “Everything from load-in to the checkered flag went almost exactly according to plan. Having partners like Ford Racing and Miller Motorsports Park are key to the success of an event like this, and I am really looking forward to the rest of the season.”

“Congratulations to Andrew,” said Ford Racing Executive Director Dan Davis. “He ran a really clean race and did a fantastic job. Ford Racing and Mustang enthusiasts all over are really excited about this new Ford Racing Challenge for the Miller Cup, and this was a great opening weekend.”

“Both on the car side and on the series side, this weekend more than met our expectations,” said Jamie Allison, manager of the Ford Racing Performance Group. “But what makes us even more excited actually was the fact that we saw someone who came through the Mazda program do so well. We have a close relationship with our friends at Mazda, and to watch the progression of someone in the Mazda Series come and do well here is an unexpected and wonderful surprise and shows the series can co-exist.”