YouTube’s Road Noise producers recently visited the Sopwith Motorsports garage to film a short feature on the progress of Blue Thunder, a 1980 Fox body Mustang undergoing a frame-on restoration in stages. Click below to view content: Read More
Birth of the Fox Mustang
. They won’t get any cheaper than they are right now. Ford’s famous Fox Mustangs, built from 1979 through 1993, are moving up from the bottom of their value curve. The Fox Mustangs derived their nickname from the 1978 Ford Fairmont, which had been internally designated as the “Fox Project” within Ford’s management and design teams. Since the Mustang borrowed the Fairmont’s platform, the “Fox” name was naturally adopted for the 79-93 Mustangs within Ford and eventually by the public as well. Ford president Lee Iacocca had overseen the design of the original Mustang in 1964 as well as its Read More
Cox Gets Sneak Preview of Spectacular Mustang Collection
. “The Kenny and Marilyn Newcombe Mustang Collection is one of the finest collections of Fox body Ford Mustangs I’ve ever seen,” Mecum co-host Stephen Cox said after reviewing the cars last week in Atlanta. “Leave it to the Mecum crew to consign a historic collection of this importance. They’ve found something pretty special.” Ford manufactured what is now called the “Fox body” Mustang from 1979 through 1993, making it the longest running generation of Mustang to ever grace the roads. The Euro styling appealed to early 1980’s car buyers, and the powerful 235 horsepower 5 liter engine appealed to Read More
1,200 Classic and Collector Cars Expected at Mecum Harrisburg
Stephen Cox of Sopwith Motorsports joins co-hosts John Kraman, Chris Jacobs, Scott Hoke and Katie Osborne for the upcoming Mecum collector car auction at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex on July 27-30 with an estimated 1,200 muscle cars, exotics, hot rods and customs crossing the block. Mecum Auctions described the vehicles and collections included in this event: Among featured vehicles consigned to the Mecum Harrisburg 2022 auction is a selection from the Dan The Oil Man Collection, including a Bloomington Gold Certified and multiple-time NCRS Top Flight-winning 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe (Lot S57) presented in its correct Sebring Silver paint and boasting a Read More
NPD Presents Rally North America, Season 3
The MavTV television network has begun airing the third season of Rally North America. The premier episode of Season 3 can be seen on Sunday evening, February 13, at 6:30 pm Eastern time. This season’s rally follows over 80 teams as they drive the most beautiful roads in Wisconsin and Michigan on an automotive scavenger hunt to benefit Race to Erase MS, which raises funds to search for a cure to Multiple Sclerosis. The program is sponsored in part by National Parts Depot, providing restoration parts for classic automobiles. The six-episode series continues weekly on MavTV at 6:30 pm Eastern Read More
Podium for Cox and AOA Racing at 14 Hours of Road Atlanta
After TravelCamp Racing’s EC class Mustang broke a transmission in the opening laps of last weekend’s 14 Hours of Road Atlanta sportscar endurance race, Indianapolis racing driver Stephen Cox was left without a ride. By lunch time he had another one. Road Atlanta is the home track of Kennesaw, Georgia’s AOA Racing and the team put together a spontaneous deal to have Cox join as the fifth driver in their Mazda MX-5. Nine hours and two transmissions later, the team scored a third place finish in EC class to earn a spot on the Champcar podium. “I didn’t know anyone Read More
What I Learned From a Chassis Bracing System
. Rebuilding My Totally-Not-Collectible Mustang, Part VIII The Stephen Cox Blog is Presented by National Parts Depot Guess what I just learned after 40 years of driving Mustangs? The stock suspension on an early Fox body Mustang actually isn’t that bad. It’s certainly not great, but I was shocked to learn that it’s actually somewhat serviceable as far as 1980’s technology goes. Known as Blue Thunder, my 1980 Mustang has never had anything other than factory-recommended springs and struts. I’ve found them perpetually unsatisfactory with too much body roll, poor turn-in on corner entry and insufficient insulation from the bumps Read More
15-Hour Sports Car Race Next for Cox
After spending the late summer entirely on ovals, Indianapolis driver Stephen Cox will return to a road course this weekend for Champcar’s 15-hour sports car endurance race at Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. Cox is the most recent addition to the Jacksonville-based Ford Mustang team of Dwayne “Tater” Kelley, teaming up with former dirt drivers Kenny Blair and John Warren under the supervision of crew chief Pat Smith. In his first outing with the team, Cox will be seeking his 8th top ten finish and second win of the 2021 season. The team’s SN-95 generation Ford Mustang features a Read More
Cox Places 4th at Barberton Speedway in CRS Truck Series
The #82 JR Fastener Corporation Chevrolet scored a 4th place finish for Brandon Huff Racing in last weekend’s main event at Barberton Speedway in Norton, Ohio, in a thrilling race that required perseverence from the driver and crew. Driver Stephen Cox led briefly in the early laps of the race before a penalty moved him to the tail of the field. Mechanical issues slowed the team’s efforts to work their way back through the field when the brakes failed, followed by clutch failure. Cox was forced to shift without the clutch between 3rd and 4th gear for the remainder of Read More
Sopwith to Televise Rally North America on MavTV
. Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions is proud to bring a new season of Rally North America to MavTV, the auto enthusiast’s network, early next year. This is the third season of Rally North America (RNA), featuring six episodes of thirty minutes each. Eighty-five teams are scheduled to compete in RNA’s “RentJDM Great Lakes Rally” to be held July 18-22 (TV airings to begin in the first quarter 2022). This year’s event travels through the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ohio over four days, starting in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and ending in Bellville, Ohio. Rally drivers will participate in lapping sessions Read More