Petty to lead Daytona field in 2011 Mustang pace car

DEARBORN, Mich., -- Richard Petty will find himself in a very familiar place on Sunday afternoon, leading the field in the Daytona 500.

Petty, who holds the NASCAR record with seven Daytona 500 victories, has accepted the role as "Pace Car Driver" for the 52nd running of the Great American Race, and will pace all 43 cars to the green flag behind the wheel of a special edition 2011 Mustang GT, powered by Ford's all-new 5.0-liter V-8 engine.

"There's nothing like the Daytona 500. It's one of the biggest races in the world and to be a part of it in this way is the next-best thing to actually being able to race," Petty said. "Who knows, maybe I'll just stay out there for a few laps and see what those guys have got."

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Petty is back as a member of the Ford Racing family after Richard Petty Motorsports merged with Yates Racing during the recently concluded off-season. Petty previously drove for the blue oval in 1969 and won nine races that season in a Ford Torino.

Ironically, the last and only other time Ford served as pace car for the Daytona 500 was one year later when a Ford Torino GT convertible started the 1970 event.

In addition to the special paint, this year's Mustang pace car features a Brembo brake package, Ford Racing suspension, strut tower brace and mufflers, 19-inch painted wheels, and summer-only tires.

The actual car that Petty will drive recently was sold for $300,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., with all proceeds above the MSRP being donated to The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

About the 2011 Mustang GT:

• 5.0-liter V-8 delivering 412 horsepower, projected highway mileage of 25 mpg.
• Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS)
• 11.5-inch front and 11.8-inch rear vented disc brakes
• Rear lower control arm and stiffened rear stabilizer bushings.
• Brembo brake package, with larger rotors and calipers from the Ford Shelby
• 19-inch wheels and summer performance