FORD CEO JIM FARLEY JOINS MDK MOTORSPORTS TO COMPETE IN ALL-NEW MUSTANG CHALLENGE RACE KICKING OFF 6/7 AT MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
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~ MDK Motorsports, a leading racing team, is gearing up for the first event of the highly anticipated Mustang Challenge with the addition of top-tier talent to their lineup. Ford CEO Jim Farley, a passionate racing enthusiast, will be joining the team to compete in this inaugural season.

Farley will make his debut in the Mustang Challenge at Mid-Ohio this week, driving an MDK Motorsports entry. In a nod to the first-ever win for Mustang at Mid-Ohio in 1967 by Jerry Titus, Farley's car will feature a Terlingua Racing Team tribute livery.

Joining Farley on the MDK team are new featured drivers Tom Tait Jr. and Gabe Tesch. The trio will launch the series at its first event, which will take place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio from June 7 to 9. Tait Jr. and Tesch will continue to race in the subsequent four events of the five-race series, all featuring the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse R race car.

In addition to announcing Farley's participation, MDK also revealed that Ease Logistics, a six-time Inc. 5000 company and Top in Transportation on Fortune's list of America's Most Innovative Companies, will be a sponsor for their team and serve as the primary sponsor for Tesch.

Farley's love for automobiles extends beyond his role as CEO of Ford. He is also an avid collector and racer of vintage vehicles and can often be found competing on tracks around the world with his 1965 Ford GT 40, 1966 427 Cobra, or 1978 Lola 298 among others. He recently launched DRIVE, a podcast that celebrates America's love affair with cars.

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Tait Jr., who joins MDK as an experienced racer with an impressive track record of success, boasts an outstanding 85% podium finish rate in numerous top-tier events. His resume includes competing in the 2022 and 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championships, as well as the 2018 and 2019 Porsche GT3 Cup Sprint Trophy Championships.

Tesch, the final addition to the MDK roster, comes fresh off the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Car series and spent 2022 competing in the British National Formula Ford Series. A pediatric brain cancer survivor turned race car driver, Tesch's inspiring story was documented in the film "Do Something Extraordinary," which can be streamed on Amazon.

Expressing his excitement for the upcoming race, Farley said, "I am so thrilled to be a part of the first Mustang Challenge race of 2024 at Mid-Ohio with MDK Motorsports. This is an incredible time for Mustang as we expand our family to include grassroots racing all the way up to the Mustang GT3 which will compete at Le Mans next week. Like all the racers this weekend, I have a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but I can't wait to get out there and enjoy some close battles with fellow Mustang racing fans."

Megan Kvamme, CEO of MDK Motorsports, also expressed her enthusiasm for having Farley on board for this inaugural season. "It's incredibly thrilling for MDK Motorsports to welcome Jim to the team as part of this inaugural season of the Mustang Challenge racing series," she said. "Jim, along with Tom and Gabe, completes an impressive MDK roster for this season – an exceptionally talented team that promises to be a formidable force on the racetrack."

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Jan Magnussen from MDK added, "Having Jim, Tom, and Gabe on board is incredibly exciting. Their combined talent and enthusiasm will undoubtedly elevate our team's performance on track in Ohio. We look forward to pushing our limits and making our mark in this exhilarating new racing series."

The Mustang Challenge, created by Ford Performance and sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), allows drivers with up to FIA silver ratings to compete on a level playing field in the same 500 horsepower, V8-powered car – sourced from the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse coupe road car.

Each event will consist of two 30-minute practice sessions, one 15-minute qualifying session, and two 45-minute sprint races. The series will also feature Ford Performance's latest turnkey race car, the Mustang Dark Horse R. This series serves as a potential ladder of opportunity for drivers to progress to the Ford Mustang GT4 and ultimately the Ford Mustang GT3.

Fans can look forward to more exciting events in the Mustang Challenge this year, including the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen International in New York from June 20-23, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road America in Wisconsin from August 2-4, the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Circuit of the Americas in Texas from August 31-September 1, and the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana from October 4-6.
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