In a race series dominated by V8-powered racers, Michael Shank Racing is taking a leap of faith by choosing Ford's new 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost unit for the 2014 TUDOR United Sports Car Championship.
The new engine has been tweaked by both Ford Racing and Roush Yates Racing Engines; and will find itself in a new-look Daytona Prototype racer. The new car has been designed with help from Ford, and engineered in part by Ford Racing's Chief Aerodynamicist, Bernie Marcus.
"At Ford Racing, we really put great emphasis on racing production-based vehicles as well as using production-based technologies," comments Jamie Allison, Director of Ford Racing. "This EcoBoost-powered car is obviously adapted for racing applications with racing controls, but ultimately we're running what we're selling and selling what we're running."
The engine's first competition will take place at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January - the first of a 12-race series. The unit's first test will happen much sooner though, as it takes on the Daytona track on 9th October - weather permitting - in an attempt to set a new top-speed lap record. The current record sits at 210.3mph (323.96km/h) and has remained as such since 1987, when NASCAR Champion Bill Elliott achieved the record in his Ford Thunderbird whilst qualifying for the Daytona 500.
"It's really a privilege to have an opportunity to put your name in the record books," says Mike Shank, owner of Michael Shank Racing. "It is almost unconceivable that this record has stood for such a long time."
Preparation for both the record attempt and the race series has been considerable. The EcoBoost unit has been put through its paces at Ford's Dynamometer Lab in Dearborn, Michigan. The dedicated facility can mimic real-life racing conditions to ensure that the unit is as ready as it can be for the events ahead.
Anything else?
Those wishing to follow the progress of the Daytona record attempt can do so via Ford Racing's Twitter channel, @FordRacing, or via the company's Facebook page, which will be updated throughout the day.