Ford->ke31 Performance Racing School has launched an exclusive driving program for owners of the 2015 and 2016 Shelby GT350 and GT350R. The program, dubbed the GT350 Track Attack, is located at the Utah Motorsports Campus in Toeele, Utah, and is only available for owners of the two fire-breathing muscle cars.->ke507

The one-day affair comes at no cost to whoever buys any of these two muscle cars. Yep. It’s part of the package that comes with purchasing either the GT350 and GT350R. Those who take up the offer are responsible for the travel costs and if they want a second track day. Those who sign up will be treated to an evening reception followed by a full day of performance driving lessons, both in the classroom and on the track. Everything happens under the skillful tutelage of Ford Performance Racing School instructors.

Ultimately, the program’s objective is to fully understand all the nuances of driving a car as powerful as the Shelby GT350.->ke1359 After all, these aren’t city hatchbacks we’re talking about here. These are cars that spit out 526 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. It takes a certain amount of skill to be able to drive a car like this and owners are encouraged to take part in the GT350 Track Attack to sharpen their high-performance driving skills. Driving these muscle cars is not just about pushing the pedal to the floor. Knowledge on braking, shifting, weight transfer, and cornering techniques are just as important. And if for nothing else, there is the experience of taking part in this program and learning from the best driving instructors from Ford Performance Racing. Those lessons could come in handy in the future.

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Why it matters

This is a pretty cool initiative by Ford Performance Racing, mainly because it gives owners of both the Shelby GT350 and GT350R a complete understanding of the car that they own. I don’t know this for a fact, but I do think that a certain population of the people who own these cars buy them because of the “Shelby” and “Mustang” names. There’s a certain amount of gravitas that comes with having a Shelby. But I think it’s also fair that some of these people aren’t as versed as maximizing the potential of these cars, especially when it comes to the things it can do other than be really, really fast.

That’s where the program comes in. It teaches these owners techniques that often gets overlooked when it comes to muscle cars. Things like braking, steering, and cornering are things that will be taught in this program so that when a driver faces them in real-life scenarios, he’s going to know what to do.

Regardless of a person’s driving ability, I think this program will be incredibly useful for Shelby owners. Granted, there’s that extra cost that comes with flying to and staying in Toeele, Utah, but if you had the money to buy the Shelby Mustang in the first place, I don’t see a reason why you can’t spend for the chance to experience something like this.

Besides, Toeele is one of those secretly interesting places to visit in this beautiful country. When you’re out there, you can even sneak in a trip to the Tooele Valley Railroad Museum or hit up the Oquirrh Hills Golf Course. Kill lots of birds with one stone, so they say.

2016 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang

Read our full review on the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang here.