The screech of seagulls and the roar of the waves were temporarily taken over by the screech of tires and the roar of Mustangs, as thousands of thoroughbreds pranced through Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, over the fourth week of July 2007. Like the Swallows in Capistrano, every year for the past seven years, thousands of Mustang lovers book their summer beach vacations for the same week and flock to the popular vacation spot to enjoy the perfect mix of family beach time with the cars they love.
But there's more to Mustang Week than just a beach gathering, as participants have the opportunity to drag race, show their rides, and do autocross.
"I've been bringing the family to Myrtle Beach for years," says Brian Pulaski of Kensington, Connecticut. "Recently, we began planning our vacation for this week so we could enjoy the beach, plus all of the Mustang Week activities."
Chuck Lawrence took time from...
Chuck Lawrence took time from the family vacation to break in MPS Auto Salvage's new Stang. Four passes netted a best of 8.489 at 163.22 mph-not bad for the car's first time out.
Beautiful White sand beaches...
Beautiful White sand beaches framed with sea oats and gentle rolling waves make for a peaceful family vacation.
Pypes Exhaust anchored one...
Pypes Exhaust anchored one end of Vendor Row. Ford Racing Performance Parts, Performance Automatic, Saleen, Fastlane Motorsports, Silver Horse Performance, and many others were also there to offer advice and services to the many Mustang enthusiasts.
Mustang Week's organizers plan each event with families in mind-the Mustang fun usually begins in the afternoon or evening, leaving mornings open for family time on the beach during the cooler part of the day. The '07 event kicked off with more than 300 people getting together for a meet-'n'-greet at Planet Hollywood on Tuesday, July 24, followed on Wednesday with a crowd of over 700 taking in the excitement of fun runs, autocross, and burnout contests (what Mustang event would be complete without one) at the Myrtle Beach Speedway.
A lunchtime cruise-in at Hooters at Colonial Mall was the staging ground for the 90-minute trip to Darlington Dragway for Thursday evening's Mustang-only drag night. Amazingly, more than 800 people made the trip and were thrilled with the burnouts and quick times of over 125 Mustangs. Fastlane Performance and Pro-Dyno were also on hand to help where needed.
Friday's big event was the 4th Annual Mustang Week Car Show, and it was the highlight of the week's activities. More than 500 Mustangs were put on display, and many awards were doled out in the judged and people's choice show, while thousands of spectators took time from their beach vacations to peruse the acres of hot Mustangs.
Saturday closed out Mustang Week with a cruise-in of 700-plus Mustangs to the Colonial Mall for those "last day of vacation" moments.
Mark your calendar for 2008's ultimate Mustang vacation, July 22-26. Visit www.mustangweek.com for all the details.
Dan Desio and Rob Ranucci...
Dan Desio and Rob Ranucci of Pro-Dyno were on hand to settle any "bench racing" with a few pulls on their Dynojet chassis dyno.
Anthony Chivaro took his '05...
Anthony Chivaro took his '05 Mustang convertible out for a few trips down the strip.
Reggie Burnett Sr. pulls the...
Reggie Burnett Sr. pulls the wheels up with his FFW Renegade Mustang. Reggie was testing his new combination and supporting his sponsor, Fastlane Motorsports.