By Doug Johnson

THE YEAR OF THE MUSTANG

Someone should petition the Chinese government to have their calender modified thousands of years later. After all the iconic Ford Mustang is certainly worthy of a year on the calender just the same as the dog, monkey and especially the rat.

2010 is going to be the year of the Mustang even if the Chinese government chooses to ignore the relevance that this little inexpensive car has had on pop culture. Beginning with its debut halfway through the year in 1964 this car has turned millions of heads and nearly 50 years later is still making waves in the auto industry.

I was around during the second revolution of this car and still have a fondness for the mid to late '80s "fox bodied" mustangs. The Mustang changed the face of mail order parts in the late '80s and brought about a performance craze that is still smoldering today. When the second Mustang craze started you could see packs of them herded together in a parking lot in most major cities (any given weekend night) like the real mustang horse did a hundred years before in wide open fields all over this country.

With the recent announcement that NASCAR has allowed the use of the Ford Mustang as one of the new cars in the Nationwide Series, and Fords renewed involvement in NHRA's Pro Stock division we are sure to see sales of the original "pony car" sky rocket once again.

The big 3 auto makers had seem to forget that what wins on Sunday sells on Monday as many NASCAR fans have had a hard time getting enthusiastic about a two door family car as thier performance icon. Most "old school" Cup fans are not too shy to tell anyone who will listens about the "Good o'le" days when Petty dominated with a Dodge Charger. Back then you could tell what car each manufacturer was running. With the COT (car of tomorrow) the only way we know what kind of car each driver is driving is with their post race interviews where they have to mention the "M&M's Toyota Camary" so the fans will remember what kind of car that driver just won the race.

Brian Wolfe ,the Director of Ford Racing Technology, has had a huge part in getting his favorite Ford back in front of the public on Sundays. Not only did Brian, who still races his own personal Mustang, have a hand in Fords Super Cobra Jet Mustang development he has also been instrumental in the design of Fords new super trick Pro Stock Engine. The Super Cobra Jet is a "NRHA Super Stock" legal car available straight from Ford Dealers with slicks, a Ford 9" rear end and 10 second times off the show room floor. There is also rumors of 6 NHRA Pro Stock Teams joining Jim Cunningham, and his hot shoe Erica Enders, in the Mustang camp since the debut of the slick new 2010 body style.

In NASCAR news Richard Petty Motorsports announced a merger with Robert Yates Racing and all of the guys who are driving for RPM will be driving Fords next year. You can bet that Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing will take this opportunity to improve on the dismal year they had so far in 2009 with only 2 drivers, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.

2010 will be awesome for racing fans whether it be straight liners or roundy round, fans as there will be real sports cars, be it a Ford Mustang or Dodge Challenger, out on the tracks as opposed to family sedans morphed into race cars. We can also thank John Force and Bob Tasca III who have been using Mustang bodies for years all be it morphed and barely resembling Mustangs they are Mustangs just the same. Mark my words Mustang will be the hip new buzz word of 2010 when you talk racing.