Mustang Week Mayhem 2011

Mustangs and other fast Fords packed Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a week of cruise-ins, racing, and beautiful beaches.

August 03, 2011

By Stephanie Davies

Photography by Stephanie Davies

Submitter: Evan J. Smith

July 19, 2011 marked the start of one of the most anxiously anticipated weeks on a Mustang enthusiast's calendar. Every year, Mustang fans young and old flock to South Carolina's Myrtle Beach for six days of cruise-ins, track days, and all-out chaos. This year marked the 10th consecutive year since the birth of Mustang Week, with people driving from as far away as Texas and Maine to attend. Some people made the trek days before events began to give themselves time to enjoy the beautiful beaches like we did, and others arrived later to attend the more popular end-of-the-week festivities.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011:
The first order of business at Mustang Week is the massive meet-and-greet at Planet Hollywood on US-17. We pulled in to find that there was not a single parking spot to be had, and joined a herd of other Mustangs parking on the grass within walking distance. Strolling around seeing hundreds of beautiful Stangs, every year and color, was surreal and overwhelming. There was just no way to see them all in a four-hour timeframe. We tried our best though, and by the end of the show we were experiencing Mustang overload. The Planet Hollywood meet is definitely a must for those who are Mustang Week first timers.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011:
With an early 10am start, we loaded up our cooler with ice and water and headed to Myrtle Beach Speedway for some autocross. The racetrack staff set up a maze of cones through which contestants raced as fast as they could, before coming to a screeching halt at the finish line. Experienced and amateur drivers seemed to be having a blast, testing their handling skills and challenging themselves to push their Mustangs to the limit. Afterwards, the Mustangs got to run wild on the half-mile circle track for some fun runs. Although staff had placed tires on the turns to slow drivers down, some speed-hungry racers ignored them and blew through the turns anyway. The night ended with a burnout contest for those who weren't too drained. It was definitely an out-of-the-ordinary and exciting track experience, especially for those Mustang owners who usually stick to quarter-mile racing.

Thursday, July 21, 2011:
Thursday, we headed to what would become our new home away from home for the next few days--Hooters on North Kings Highway. Mustangs had invaded, and we parked amongst them and headed in for lunch before a casual and informal two-hour cruise to Darlington Dragway in Hartsville, South Carolina. We sure wished we had air conditioning in our Mustang during that drive, but we'd soon learn that the discomfort was well worth it. The track was overrun with hundreds of Ponies lined up and ready to tear up the quarter-mile. Blow-By Racing and Evolution Performance were both on-hand to show the crowd what their cars could do, and there were quite a few beastly homebuilt Mustangs stealing the show as well. Most racers skipped the trailer and drove their cars on the two-hour trek before racing, which was pretty impressive and daring to say the least.