Live from Columbus Ohio - D3 Lucas Oil Series Race Weekend

[Mike Delahanty]

Good morning. Its early on Thursday morning and I'm just about ready to make the trip to Columbus for the D3 LODRS weekend. Weather looks great - and we are due a good weekend after Norwalk and Joliet. I'm usually not excited about the drive to and from the track - but today I can't wait. I'll be towing with a new 2015 F-150 powered by the 3.5Ltwin turbo EcoBoost engine. Everybody that tows with one raves about it - and I'll pass along my own mini road test review. Besides the towing promise - the truck is fantastic.

I'll give you a report from the Test & Tune session this afternoon.

[Shake & Bake]

Mike, they decided to let us in yesterday as the field where spectators park was to soft to line up in. Was parked and set up by 6:00 Wed. evening.

[stage1scott]

Hey Mike-thanks for the live reporting. My lifelong friend and mentor John Kunsak should be there with his new COPO, after many years away from regular racing. Can you please See if you can get a photo of him with his new ride? Red, 427 4 speed car. THANKS!

[Mike Delahanty]

The tow to Columbus was fantastic, but more on that later. I rolled in a little before 11 and the pits are starting to fill in nicely. The test and tune is on hold as there are issues with the tree. The track suffered a lightning strike last week and it appears the repairs are not yet complete. Some cars made runs but the ambers still don't work on the tree.

Here are a couple shots from the starting line as we all wait.

[Mike Delahanty]

The track staff is trouble shooting.

[Mike Delahanty]

Ok. Just after 1:00 and the tree is fixed. The track is being groomed and we should be testing any minute



Watson Engineering patriarch Chuck Watson Sr. is here testing his CJ. His company built the last run of Cobra Jet Mustangs.

[colby]

Originally Posted by Mike Delahanty

The tow to Columbus was fantastic, but more on that later.

With all the downtime, fill us in on the truck. I am very interested as I just picked up a 2015 2.7.

[Chris1529]

Originally Posted by Mike Delahanty

Good morning. Its early on Thursday morning and I'm just about ready to make the trip to Columbus for the D3 LODRS weekend. Weather looks great - and we are due a good weekend after Norwalk and Joliet. I'm usually not excited about the drive to and from the track - but today I can't wait. I'll be towing with a new 2015 F-150 powered by the 3.5Ltwin turbo EcoBoost engine. Everybody that tows with one raves about it - and I'll pass along my own mini road test review. Besides the towing promise - the truck is fantastic.

I'll give you a report from the Test & Tune session this afternoon.

Mike,

How about campaigning for Ford to offer an ecoboost version of the 5.0 V8?

[Mike Delahanty]

Originally Posted by Chris1529

Mike,

How about campaigning for Ford to offer an ecoboost version of the 5.0 V8?

Chris,

An EcoBoost version of the Coyote would be an EcoBEAST! Officially, no comment - and I'm pretty far removed from the powertrain development world.

But what I can comment on are the EcoBoost crate engines that Ford Performance (formerly known as Ford Racing) is close to bringing to market. Up first is the 3.5L EcoBoost crate - the same engine found in the F-150. That engine with the control pack to run it will be available in the fall. One of these in a light Fox Body will be a very streetable 10 second car. Next up is the 2.3L EcoBoost that's used in the 2015 Mustang. We have a very sharp guy locally that's swapping one a very clean 71 Pinto - and that too is going to be fast.

The turbocharged EcoBoost engines are amazing. .

[Joe Marcinowski]

Congrats to the Winchesters on the well deserved best appearing award! Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics that do not do this car justice.