Nitto Tire Honors Mustang Heritage at Thermal Club Raceway

Team Nitto drivers Vaughn Gittin Jr. and Chelsea DeNofa joined Mustang enthusiasts for a fun-filled day of track runs and demo drifting.

The Mustang Source attended the Nitto Tire USA Mustang Mania event on May 2 at the Thermal Club in Thermal, California. Thunderous exhaust notes, thousands of horsepower, and plenty of tire smoke filled the air, and that’s not even the half of it.

Nitto has had a unique relationship with Ford’s beloved muscle car for years, and what better way to celebrate that history than with a high-profile track day on a private country club in the middle of the desert?

Hitting the Desert with Nitto

The Thermal Club is an exclusive, members-only, multi-million dollar racing enthusiast community that’s nestled between Joshua Tree National Park and the Salton Sea. It is 344 acres in size, has it’s own luxury residential neighborhoods, and contains four tracks surrounded by beautiful mountains. Think of it as a country club mecca for gearheads (not to be confused with the nearby city of Mecca, that is).

The only way to experience Thermal, if you’re not a member, is by special invite only—just to give you some perspective.

Nitto Tire invited eight Mustang enthusiasts from all over the country to represent each generation, and to drive on one of the most exclusive tracks in California. In attendance was a 1966 Shelby GT350CR Pro-Touring, 1967 Shelby GT500CR Classic, 1970 Mach 1, 1973 Mach 1, 1978 Mustang II, 1987 LX Fox Body, 2001 GT Bullitt and a 2013 Boss 302. They also got to drive alongside three-time Formula D champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. and XDC champion Chelsea DeNofa.

First order of business was a recon run to learn the South Palm Circuit. Prior to this, each Mustang was equipped with a set of high performance Nitto tires. “Today, we will give you a first hand experience of our main UHP line, specifically the NT555G2, our maximum performance radial NT05, and the NT01, our compound road race radial,” said Harry Kong, Nitto Tire USA Marketing Strategist.

Move on to the next page to continue reading about the track runs.

Derin Richardson

Derin Richardson is a seasoned editor who's worked in print and digital media since 2008. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at California State University, Fullerton, and is an avid fan of American muscle. He oversees content for The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, Dodge Forum, MB World, JK-Forum and 5Series.

As the grandson of a former L.A. Fire Department mechanic, he's grown up around cars and trucks most of his life. Some of his fondest memories are the times he helped wrench on his grandfather's 1941 Ford Pickup, which he endearingly nicknamed "High Yeller."

He currently drives a Red Hot 2018 Chevrolet Camaro SS but appreciates anything with four wheels and a little rumble.

Derin can be reached at derin.richardson@internetbrands.com

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