Watch Joey Logano’s NASCAR Mustang Tandem Drift the Charlotte Roval With Vaughn Gittin Jr.
Gittin, of course, brought his own Formula Drift-spec Mustang along to play.
Ford Performance has just released a video to its Youtube channel showing off its new NASCAR Mustang, as well as the skills of driver and 2018 Cup Series champion Joey Logano behind the wheel. Rather than just have the car run around the oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway, as would be typical for a NASCAR race, the team has instead decided to film Logano slide around the track's infield with Formula Drift veteran Vaughn Gittin Jr. backing him up in his own Mustang. Gittin's RTR team also pitched in the livery design that Logano's car wears for the video.
While both of these cars bear the Mustang name, they have many differences. Gittin's Formula Drift ride has been modified with the typical steering angle kit and inboard suspension but is still based on a factory Mustang. Logano's machine, like all modern stock cars, rides on a complete tube frame chassis. Both cars are powered by Roush Yates-supplied pushrod V8s. The Formula Drift Mustang also uses the more modern six-speed manual transmission, while NASCAR still relies on the old school four-speed. RTR also tells The Drive that Roush had added a handbrake and angle kit to the NASCAR Mustang to get it sliding around more easily.
In an RTR release, Vaughn Gittin Jr. had this to say about his NASCAR co-star: "Drifting door-to-door in the new Roval infield at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Joey behind the wheel of the new 2019 NASCAR Mustang was a wild and fun experience.” He continued, “I have never seen a driver from another [racing] discipline take to drifting like Joey did. After a bit of instruction, he was linking turns and I was comfortable to get super close."
Conversely, Joey Logano had a few words to say about Gittin. "I had an incredible time drifting the 2019 NASCAR Mustang with Vaughn Gittin Jr. This was a really fun way to be welcomed into the Mustang family. I'm looking forward to doing more Mustang burnouts and donuts on the way to victory lane next year!"
