Nothing sells a sports car better than putting potential customers in seats on a racetrack. That's the idea of the Shelby GT500 Track Tour - opens in new window or tab., which we had to experience for ourselves. So, we traveled to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville on May 27, 2021, for the final stop of the tour. It’s a roadshow like no other.
This was the right place to be. (Photo: Lincoln Hill/Ford Performance)
GT500 Track Tour: The Cars and the Venues
The tour started at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October 2019—and stopped in Chicago, Sonoma, Charlotte, and Fort Worth. Ford Performance selected venues based on the car’s capabilities and proximity to the customer base. The goal was to showcase the GT500’s exceptional grip while allowing the car to stretch its legs.
Approximately 40 GT500s took part in the Track Tour. It takes one to two days to set up each event, with shakedown runs in every car. Ford Performance Driving School personnel are responsible for the track cars.
After the tour, the GT500s enter Ford’s demo pool. Some cars land at the Ford’s Charlotte Performance Driving School - opens in new window or tab., while others go to consumer events.
(Photo: Lincoln Hill/Ford Performance)
The GT500 Tour Experience
Each Shelby Track Tour event takes place over two days. The best way to get an invite to the event is to be active in your local automotive community. Ford reaches out to local clubs for invites.
Typically, the first day is for media and Ford dealers. The second day is consumer-focused, hosting current Ford Performance or Shelby owners in the morning. Owners of vehicles that compete with the GT500 get their turn in the afternoon.
The day’s activities include an acceleration demo and tech info sessions with representatives from Ford, Shelby, Tremec, and Recaro. But the highlight is the time spent on the track.
The GT500 Track Tour’s display hall dished out the details. (Photo: Lincoln Hill/Ford Performance)
105 MPH Like It Was Nothing
The Shelby GT500 Track Tour uses a lead-and-follow protocol for the road course. As per requirements, I donned a balaclava - opens in new window or tab. and Zamp full-face helmet - opens in new window or tab. and HANS device - opens in new window or tab. before climbing into my Twister Orange chariot.
A Ford Performance Racing School tech provided basic instructions, hooked up the HANS to the GT500’s three-point harness, and turned on the GoPro. Next, I fired up the mighty V-8 and put the car in Track mode, which turned the digital dash into a gigantic linear tachometer.
(Photo: Lincoln Hill/Ford Performance)
A professional driver leads a pack of three cars, setting the lines and pace. Each lap of NJMP’s 10-turn Lightning road course got faster. The instructors told us to leave the GT500’s transmission in Drive. While I longed to give the magnesium paddle shifters a go, leaving it in Drive was a wise choice. It allowed me to focus on the line rather than fiddling with gears.
I lucked into the third car of the pack. The DCTs shifts were snappy and precise. The clean-up position allowed me to hang back and nail it out of the turns.
It was one big happy blur for five laps. I didn’t get a chance to glance at the speedometer until I was headed out of the last turn into the final stretch. That’s when I saw the number: 105 mph—so much power. I felt like a kid at an amusement park.
Shelby GT500: By the Numbers
(Photo: Lincoln Hill/Ford Performance)
You might already know the Shelby GT500’s impressive stats, but they’re worth repeating:
- The GT500’s supercharged 5.2-liter V-8 pumps out a heart-thumping 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque, with a 7,500 rpm redline.
- The seven-speed TREMEC dual-clutch transmission (DCT) sports magnesium paddle shifters and features five modes: normal, sport, track, drag, and slippery.
- Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a carbon-fiber driveshaft to a 3.73:1 Torsen limited-slip differential.
- Half a dozen coolers keep the engine oil, transmission fluid, and differential fluid temperatures in the zone.
Brembo calipers - opens in new window or tab. (six-piston up front, four in the rear) and SHW two-piece ventilated rotors (16.53” front/14.46” rear) haul it all down in a hurry.
The suspension system uses independent MacPherson struts up front with double ball joints and an independent multi-link setup in the back. In addition, it includes MagneRide damping, tubular stabilizer bars front and rear, lightweight high-strength steel springs, and a magnesium front strut brace.
The base GT500 rides on staggered 20-inch flow-formed and forged aluminum alloys, wrapped with specific Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (305/30R20 front, 315/30R20 rear). Upgrading to the Carbon Fiber Track Pack gains a spectacular set of lightweight 20-inch exposed carbon-fiber wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.
The GT500’s line lock was demoed in the burnout box.
The experience at the Shelby GT500 Track Tour was unforgettable. I've never owned a Mustang, but the half-day spent at NJMP might change that. It's just a matter of finding a way one day to tuck one of these beauties away in my garage.
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