Mars Delivers Ford Mustang GT4’s First Win On Competition Debut

In Race 1 of the VP Racing Challenge Series meeting at Daytona International Speedway, 17-year-old Luca Mars drove from the back of the 20-car Grand Sport X (GSX) class field to take the Ford Mustang GT4’s first win in its global competition debut.

Mars was placed at the back of the grid when his #59 KOHR Motorsports Mustang GT4 failed post-qualifying scrutineering and had all of its lap times deleted, but using the strength of the Ford’s V8 motor, he gradually fought his way into podium contention.

Gregory Liefooghe in the #43 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 led a four-car breakaway for much of the race, ahead of polesitter Michael Cooper, Marc Miller, and Patrick Wilmot. With less than 17 minutes to go, a Full Course Yellow was called when Robbie McWilliams crashed his #22 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin.

Mars had gotten past Wilmot and, when the race restarted with six minutes left, he’d pick his way past Cooper, then Miller, then coming out of the Le Mans Chicane on the last lap, Mars surged past Liefooghe around Speedway Turn 4 and won by 0.051 seconds.

The task was daunting but Mars was up for the challenge. “I like making passes,” he said. “I like that challenge. It was hard work because at times I had to get past four or five cars and had to be strategic. I just knew I had to be there at the end.

“I knew I had time with 45 minutes. I had to be aggressively cautious and keep the car clean. I knew we had a fast car with the new Mustang, it was hooked up. So coming into the last lap I had a draft and it was a battle to the line and the Mustang beat out the BMW.

“It’s awesome to win the car’s first race, everyone worked so hard, it’s a great feeling,” Mars added after learning of his milestone achievement. “This race gave us great feedback on the car. For the four-hour Pilot Challenge race (next week), we know we have to be faster on the longer stint tyres. But this race was good to learn the car and a great first experience.”