Rally America 2010 Mustang Race (Mustang Rally Ch. 1)

The last thing youd expect to see zooming through Bemidji, Minn. at the Ojibwe Forests Rally is a 2010 Ford Mustang, or any Mustang for that matter. J.B. Niday, managing director of Rally America, had not yet experienced a 2010 Mustang at any of his Rally America competitions, but that was about to change.

Niday unselfishly chose to unleash his inner Mustang with Fords 10 Unleashed campaign through his two good friends Mike Hurst, technical director for Rally America, and Mark Utecht, one of Rally Americas top two wheel drive competitors.

There are no ovals, pace cars or rain delays in Rally racing. The sport features real cars racing against the clock on closed-off sections of real roads that are usually unpaved and unforgiving. Gravel logging roads, mountain passes, well groomed forest roads are what make up the tracks for rally drivers. Events can last several days and cover hundreds of miles through rain, snow and day or night. A rally car is the ultimate real world sports car: one that is capable of high speed and incredible handling on any road surface and in every weather condition.

Niday organized a head-to-head rally in a 2010 Ford Mustang on four stages of the Ojibwe Forests Rally course winner takes all.

Hurst and Utecht are friends off the track and deadly on it. Their friendly conversation of recent years has been about who is behind the wheel of the 86 Mustang that Hurst reluctantly sold to Utecht several years ago and this challenge would settle their Mustang rally feud once and for all.

Hurst last drove his cherished 86 Mustang in a rally in February of 2004. Utecht has proven he knows how to drive a Mustang in the woods by winning the Rally America Group 5 class in his region ever since he bought the 86 Mustang from Hurst.

To find out who earned lifetime bragging rights and also took home use of the 2010 Mustang for a year, check out the full HD video chronicling Mustang Rally at www.the2010mustang.com.