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Speed Home Chicago: A Journey to the NASCAR’s Biggest Race of the Year

Last July, Chicago hosted the 2023 Grant Park 220 -- the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race in the association's 75-year history. Sunoco has officially fueled NASCAR for 20 years, so it was only fitting to celebrate this milestone with a unique nod to auto racing.

 

 

With that in mind, Sunoco challenged its partners at Throtl – a talented team of expert builders – to complete a seven-day custom auto build and 1,000-mile road trip to the inaugural Grant Park 220. As expected, this famous crew of custom-build and performance-parts professionals accepted the assignment.

 

The Project Car

Team Throtl purchased a 1989 Ford Mustang – sight unseen, mind you – for the challenge. With a lightweight frame and engine bay, Fox Body Mustangs are perfect for builders who want an easily modifiable vehicle that can also go fast.

 

 

With just north of 40,000 miles, the Fox Body Mustang GT 5L looked great and performed remarkably well in its original state, offering a solid ride and a stock 302 engine with plenty of torque. It boasted a clean, unblemished, and mostly unchanged, exterior and a bold, red interior that would have been considered feature-packed in its day. But this ride won’t remain stock for long, because upgrades are afoot. As the Throtl guys say, “Let’s get into it.”  

 

The Build

With the clock ticking, the vehicle build commenced at Jimmy Oakes’ Garage in Connecticut. Bumper-to-bumper mods notably include a hood vent, modified suspension, fuel and air intake system upgrades, plus exhaust, as wells as new wheels and tires.

 

 

The New Look

The white 1989 Ford was wrapped in Laguna Blue ultragloss film, and even the fog lights were wrapped in yellow film for a bold accent. Smoky headlights and LX tail lights Sunoco added some dramatic flair, and Throtl branding adhesives finished the look for this tremendous build. Only plans to widen the car were set aside, as the team decided to preserve the stock fenders.

 

The Trip

Throtl team members Quinn Clark and Rickie Fernandez split drive time for the 1,000 mile-road Mustang road trip to Chicago. The journey included visits to Turn14 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, not to mention obligatory roadside selfies and stops for delicious grub, with stops along the way for a minor exhaust fix, installation of one new steering wheel, and to fill up on Sunoco 94 Octane fuel – the highest octane on the market.

 

 

The Grant Park 220 Race in Review

Originally scheduled for 100 laps, the 2023 Grant Park 220 was shortened to 75 laps due to darkness before being extended to 78 laps due to an overtime finish on the 2.2-mile (3.5 km) street course. It was the 18th race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season and the first street race contested for the series. In the end, reigning supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen took the checkered flag, making his NASCAR debut.