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EVANS: On Tour With Mustang GT4

Erik Evans files his first Sportscar365 column reflecting on his stints in Ford Mustang GT4 machinery in Europe…

Photo: Ford Performance

By: Erik Evans

Coming to Europe to compete against some of the best GT drivers in the world involved a lot of risk and sacrifice. Europe is home to top-level talent, and that talent stretches across every major sports car racing series. You’d be hard-pressed to find a global series without Europeans at the top of the rankings.

But that’s exactly why I came here. Ever since I started karting, I’ve wanted to compete against the best. One of the biggest sacrifices I’ve made is leaving my friends and family back in Atlanta for most of the year. It’s tough, but it gets easier when you’re surrounded by a team like this one.

Everyone at Academy Motorsport operates in-sync at such a high, professional level. We all share the same competitive spirit and goals. I’m incredibly grateful that Academy welcomed me like one of their own.

My first test with Academy in the Mustang came toward the end of 2022, and I immediately fell in love with the idea of an American kid, in an American car, taking it to all the European brands and drivers. It’s been an honor to do that with this new car, and we’ve developed and fought as a team from the start.

The Mustang GT4 is so different from most cars you see here in Europe. It’s got a big V8, and the sound alone sets it apart. The whole platform has improved tremendously, and the car handles like a proper, stiff race car.

Coming from open-wheel racing, I love that the Mustang GT4 demands high-precision driving. It responds exactly how you want it to and having that level of control is reassuring for any driver.

The all-new Mustang GT4 is also a magnet for fans. Whether it’s at autograph sessions or on pre-race grid walks, I see Mustang hats and jackets everywhere. And if you don’t see them, you know you’ll turn heads the moment we fire it up. Mustang is iconic worldwide, and it shows.

This season has been a whirlwind. The first couple of weekends were challenging from a results standpoint, mainly because other teams had their cars dialed in while ours was brand new. We had to figure out the setups and nuances, but once we did, the car became incredible.

We really found our stride at Misano. Finishing in the top ten on the grid was rewarding, but Marco [Signoretti] and I knew we could fight, and that energy lifted the entire team. We left Misano feeling like we’d just won the race.

We’ve also had tremendous support from Ford Performance engineers, who have been with us every weekend, helping us maximize our performance. Their commitment has been crucial to our progress.

Racing is unpredictable, and that’s one of the most thrilling aspects of it. Anything can happen, and it’s never truly over until the final checkered flag of the season. Given the way we’ve progressed this year, I believe we can finish in incredible form. Our Mustang GT4 is only getting faster.

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