Approximately half of the Boss Track Attack students opt to pay the extra tariff to stick around and continue their on-track education in the Ford Racing High Performance Driving School FR500s. Longtime 5.0&SF readers know that this wasn’t my first rodeo at MMP. Offered another chance in the FR500, I jumped at it.
I had previously run through the school’s cars back in the October 2007 issue (“Dream Park,” p. 44). Back then I drove the school car, the Challenge car, and the FR500. The school car and FR500 are the same now, and the Challenge car was betwixt the two and built for a track racing series. At that time, moving up the ladder to the FR500 felt like a big deal.
Fast-forward to 2012, and moving up from the powerful Boss 302 street car to the FR500 is a much easier transition. With less power, less torque, and tons more grip, the race car felt far easier to drive and safer to boot. Even standing on the throttle, there wasn’t enough torque to truly upset the car, but it still got around the track in big hurry.
After one day of track duty behind me, I was more comfortable in a hurry on the second day. Sure we were learning a new car and a new track, but it came along pretty quickly. And, the class is set up that way. After a lead and follow, it’s out on the track. There’s only one seat in the FR500s, so the instructors watch from the tricky corners and give you tips back in the garage. Midway through the program, you do ride with an instructor in the school car, which affords you the chance to ask questions about troublesome corners.
For me, the tough spots were Demon, Devil, and Diablo, but I was having blast ripping through Dreamboat, Workout, and Scream. I was really starting to feel good out on the track.
In the final session, I embarked with high expectations for even quicker laps, however a couple of my fellow students decided to venture off track right in front of me. One did so rather spectacularly. One of the great things about Miller is abundant run-off, so everyone was unharmed. However, it did encourage me to dial it back a bit for the rest of the session.
In the end, the second day kept the learning and the fun going. If you attend the Boss Track Attack, I can’t recommend the second day highly enough.
Part of the fun of attending the Boss Track Attack was getting to know my fellow classmates. It was interesting to learn why they bought their Bosses and what other cars they had before moving to the Boss. Like your scribe, all seemed to have a great time at the school.
Jerry Albertus was primarily...
Jerry Albertus was primarily a Mopar guy, but his son, Richard, talked him into buying an Ingot Silver ’12 Boss Laguna Seca for a father/son run at One Lap of America. “The second day was my first chance to drive a real race-prep’d Mustang,” Jerry explained. “I thought the Boss compared favorably to the FR500 in terms of power but the handling of the FR500 was impressive. I was going faster and faster with each session yet still not at the cars limit ... only mine.
Pete Dahlgren is a true-blue...
Pete Dahlgren is a true-blue Ford fan. He previously owned a ’71 Boss 351, a ’69 Boss 429, a ’67 Mustang, a ’67 Fairlane drag car, and an ’06 Screaming Yellow Roush. He added a Yellow Blaze ’12 Boss to that list. “There is way more to getting a car around a track than I ever knew,” Pete said.
When the Boss outperformed...
When the Boss outperformed the M3 and R8 on Laguna, Wally Abdallah knew he had found the replacement for his S2000. “(It’s) absolutely the best thing I’ve ever done to gain an appreciation for racing. The school was well-balanced and designed to accommodate different levels of experience without sacrificing content delivery,” Wally said. “The instructors were professional and you sensed that they had a love for the sport. I’ve been telling everybody about it at work...
John Gillett added a Competition...
John Gillett added a Competition Orange ’12 Boss to his impressive collection of a ’70 428 SCJ Mach 1, a ’99 GT, an ’03 Mach 1, and a ’10 GT. “The best thing I learned is that there are multiple components to being a good driver. You have to integrate all of them into a smooth approach to racing on a road course. I learned when to brake, how to brake, when to accelerate, how to accelerate, how to steer in different places, how to study a track, how to find my marks, how to find the apex of a corner, and make a plan on how to drive on a course, “ Jon explained. “The things I learned are sticking with me. It seems like every corner I come to on the highway I am analyzing how to approach it, where the apex is located, and how to exit it even though I’m not driving on a track. I find myself positioning my hands properly on the steering wheel. If I find myself not positioning them properly, I quickly correct myself. When all the components come together, it brings on a calm, relaxed feeling of confidence.”
Hermes Fernadez was replacing...
Hermes Fernadez was replacing a vintage Corvette with something more family-friendly. He considered all the modern muscle cars before choosing a Yellow Blaze ’12 Boss. “As a former Navy flight instructor who worked on defining the primary flight training syllabus, I was skeptical about how much we could learn in one day,” Hermes said. “I know this class was only meant as an exposure to race car driving, but it felt complete and fulfilling. I was impressed with all the instructors and the syllabus they put together for us.”
Fred Burgos wasn’t replacing...
Fred Burgos wasn’t replacing a car with his Competition Orange ’12 Boss, but rather adding to his eclectic personal stable. “I hadn’t owned a Mustang for a few years and was looking at getting a new GT when Ford announced the Boss, so I decided to wait and get a Boss as the description of the car at the announcement was too good to pass up,” Fred explained. “I attended Track Attack so I could get familiar with driving a street car on a racetrack. I have quite a bit of track experience driving a purpose-built race car, but up until Track Attack, none with a street car. It was a real eye-opener—not at all what I was used to, but at least now I know what to expect when I take my Boss out on track.”
Brad Sarkauskas owned some...
Brad Sarkauskas owned some vintage Mustangs—a ’66 and a ’67. He stepped up to a Yellow Blaze ’12 Boss. “Yes, I was absolutely amazed at the capabilities of the Boss. I had no idea it could perform at that level (especially during the ride with the instructor),” Brad said. “The FR500 was a completely different vehicle. Although the Boss is a race car, it still has many items that make the vehicle comfortable. The FR500 is not the most comfortable vehicle.”
Kevin Cook moved out of a...
Kevin Cook moved out of a BMW M3 into his Performance White ’12 Boss, but not as directly as you might suspect. “I like low- or no-option muscle cars and had been looking to buy a ’93 Mustang LX 5.0 coupe for a few years, but I was never satisfied with the quality of what I found,” Kevin said. “Once Ford released details on the Boss, I knew I had found what I was looking for to replicate the Fox cars I owned in college—a car focused on performance, with no navigation or other goodies to weigh it down.”