Tony Stewart has long been known as “Smoke” on the track – a nickname earned for his ability to smoke the competition and burn up a set of tires when celebrating a victor. Now that name is coming to life as a car – specifically a one-of-a-kind pony. Stewart has teamed with Smithfield and car builder RTR Vehicles and the man behind it, drifting champion Vaughn Gittin Jr., to build a one-of-a-kind 2018 Ford Mustang RTR Spec 3 that will be given away to one lucky fan. This 700-horsepower beast finds Ford’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine receiving 12 pounds of boost from Ford Performance’s new supercharger. In the end, Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine will have the sound and feel of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion Stewart-Haas Racing campaigns in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with driver Aric Almirola.
From the Official Announcement: “I’m a car guy as much as I am a racer,” Stewart said. “I love to see how the performance parts and pieces we use in racing make their way into street cars. We picked the right car builder in RTR and Vaughn Gittin Jr. to make sure this car performs as well as it looks. They know Ford Mustangs inside and out, and we’ve incorporated our technical partners into this build too, with Mobil 1 and WIX Filters technology getting installed. Our friends at Smithfield are genuine race fans, and it’s exciting to partner with them to bring a genuine performance machine in this Ford Mustang to one lucky fan.”
Gittin is a world-champion drifter and professional fun-haver in the premier drifting series, Formula Drift. He is best known for his aggressive, foot-to-the-floor, door-to-door, big-smoke driving style behind the wheel of his signature Ford Mustang RTR. Vaughn is the visionary behind RTR Vehicles, which builds turnkey Ford Mustangs featuring aggressive, modern styling and tactical performance enhancements available through select Ford dealers across the globe.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun building this tire slayer of a Mustang so we can have some smoky fun with Tony Stewart and Smithfield,” Gittin said. “Our plan is to take the incredible, new 2018 Ford Mustang GT to the next level by converting it to a Mustang RTR Spec 3 that screams with 700 horsepower thanks to Ford Performance’s new game-changing supercharger with air-to-water intercooler. We will also add a few other custom touches with inspiration from Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Smithfield Ford Fusion. We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, but with Smithfield involved, at least we know our RTR crew will eat well as they burn the midnight oil.”
Completing the customization of Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine will be:
- RTR’s adjustable dampers, lowering springs, sway bars and performance exhaust.
- RTR’s complete aero package, LED grille lighting and a custom leather interior.
- A custom set of RTR’s 20-inch Tech 5 wheels.
- And a unique, serialized “1 of 1” build plaque signed by Stewart and Gittin.
One lucky winner will be selected in October, whereupon Smithfield and Stewart-Haas Racing will fly them and a guest to Ford Championship Weekend Nov. 17-18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. There, Stewart will personally hand over the keys to the winner of his Smithfield Smoke Machine Ford Mustang.
Beginning May 6, fans can register for a chance to win Tony Stewart’s Smithfield Smoke Machine by visiting www.SmithfieldRacing.com.
