Press release.

LAND SPEED MUSTANG RACE TEAM
www.LandSpeedMustang.com
Steve Benyo Takes Hot Rod Magazine Top Speed
Challenge with the CentiMark Mustang!
Maxton, NC- Already widely recognized as the “World’s Fastest Production Mustang”, the
CentiMark Land Speed Mustang continues to earn its place in the annals of Ford Mustang
performance history, scoring one astounding feat after the next! This time, owner/driver Steve
Benyo and the Land Speed Mustang Race Team captured the prestigious Hot Rod Magazine Top
Speed Challenge title for the Standing Mile in Maxton, North Carolina.
In addition to winning the Hot Rod Top Speed Challenge, the Land Speed Mustang Race Team
doubled up on their accomplishments by breaking the track record for the fastest run by a
production-based car in the history of the Maxton Mile! The winning 233.10 mph pass eclipsed the
previous record of 231.66 mph, set by an ethanol-powered twin-turbo Dodge Viper V-10 in October
of 2007.
On each of its five runs down the Maxton Monster Mile over the weekend, the CentiMark Mustang
surpassed an existing class record. Under ECTA rules, contestants are allowed to “move up” to a
higher class. Competing in several different classes, Steve reset two of his own ECTA records and
finished the event with four new ECTA records overall. Steve now owns a total of 14 ECTA Land
Speed Records in the Standing Mile, complementing the SCTA World Record set last August at the
Bonneville Salt Flats.
The crew cited several conditions that were far from perfect, even on the record shattering run, and
believe the car’s performance potential is just now being tapped. Look for updates and new
developments at www.LandSpeedMustang.com
About the Hot Rod Magazine Top Speed Challenge
The event is hosted annually by Hot Rod Magazine in cooperation under the oversight of the East
Coast Timing Association, the governing body for Land Speed Racing on the East Coast. Now in
its fifth year, the contest is to determine the fastest street-legal car in the Standing Mile. The
competition is open to any legally registered and insured vehicles that meet ECTA safety
requirements and have fully functioning street equipment.
Hot Rod Top Speed Challenge Super Street Champions
2005 Randy Brown 1994 Pontiac Firebird - 180.839 mph
2006 Ron Misjak, Jr. 1996 Dodge Viper GTS - 219.464 mph
2007 David Matyjasik 1971Chevrolet Camaro - 212.896 mph
2008 Mike Reichen 1994 Mitsubishi EVO - 210.290 mph
2009 Steve Benyo 2003 Mustang Cobra SVT - 233.108 mph
Editor in Chief David Freiburger presents the traditional Hot Rod
Magazine jacket to this year’s winner Steve Benyo.
For more information about the Hot Rod Top Speed Challenge, go to:
http://www.ecta-lsr.com/?page_id=21
New ECTA Records set by the CentiMark Mustang
Class
AA/BFSS
AA/BGSS
A/BGSS
C/BGSS*
New Record
226.51
233.10
226.95
230.48
Previous Record
221.42
184.65
218.95
198.63
* the actual street class for engines with 323 cubic inch displacement
Mustang
About the CentiMark Land Speed Mustang
The CentiMark Mustang has a 323 cubic inch power plant featuring the new “Boss 5.0” engine
block from Ford Racing Performance Parts. The car weighs 4150 pounds when topped off with
high octane racing gasoline, and was fitted with mufflers and D.O.T. approved tires for this contest.
All of the mandatory street equipment is functional, but the car is missing some common luxuries
such as air conditioning and the CD player. These pose no problems, since Steve cannot to hear the
radio above the roar of the exhaust, and ample cooling is provided by the 200 mph breezes.
Enthusiasts who closely follow the exploits of the CentiMark Mustang may have noticed some notso-subtle changes since last season, which were more than just cosmetic. The veteran crew of
Norm Bova, Jim Locke and Bob Beckwith made several technical and safety improvements over
the winter.
Most noticeably, the car now sports a small wing on the rear deck which was added for high speed
stability (and actually allows the air flow to open the parachutes more quickly). The other visible
difference is the new raised hood, which was added to facilitate clearance for the redesigned
induction system. Some other changes were not visible, including transmission ratios, differential
gearing, software tweaking and an upgrade to FRPP “Cobra R” disc brakes that were needed to
bring the speedy but heavy ‘Stang to a safe stop. Both in-car and trackside video was taken by team
specialist Randy Cooper, and should be available later this month at www.LandSpeedMustang.com
Information provided courtesy of the Land Speed Mustang News Bureau
www.LandSpeedMustang.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Web-
LAND SPEED MUSTANG RACE TEAM
www.LandSpeedMustang.com