Multimatic Scrambles to Replace Crashed Car with Older Ford at VIR

Multimatic Motorsports will bring its previous generation Ford Mustang Boss 302R out for a one-race Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge comeback, to replace its No. 15 Ford Shelby GT350R-C, which is sidelined following a heavy accident in first official practice at Virginia International Raceway.

Following Scott Maxwell’s accident in the morning session, it appeared he and Billy Johnson would be unable to participate in the remainder of the weekend.

However, per a team representative, the team plans to have a previous generation Ford Mustang Boss 302R to the track by Saturday morning. The Multimatic Motorsports team had run the Boss 302Rs in the opening three races of the season.

Maxwell wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon that the crew is bringing the car out from its Toronto headquarters, some 14 hours away from the track.

“Big self-inflicted error in practice means we can’t race our @FordPerformance Mustang at @VIRNow tomorrow. Amazing salvage plan in effect,” Maxwell wrote. “20 hrs. to race time and the amazing @MultimaticRace have loaded our ‘retired’ Boss 302 into a trailer and heading south! 14 hr. drive….”

As for the new car, Maxwell went off course at Turn 16, hitting the curb at the wrong angle, landing incorrectly and then hitting the wall. Maxwell was OK after the accident.

“Just hit the curb wrong, oversteered on exit and then lost it,” Maxwell told Sportscar365. “It’s 100 percent my fault. I hate it for the guys and what they’ll have to do.”

Maxwell and Johnson will be able to start the race from the rear of the field with the old car.

The Multimatic crew will still need to build up a new Shelby GT350R-C chassis ahead of the next round at Circuit of the Americas on Sept. 18.

The No. 15 chassis had been rebuilt prior to the Lime Rock Park round earlier this year, using elements from the team’s first car on what was the spare car following Maxwell’s accident at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, when he was contacted by another Ford car during the race.