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MELVILLE, N.Y. -– The men had better take notice because there’s a new girl in town, or let’s rephrase that and say there’s a new girl in the City…as in Gotham City. No, it’s not Catwoman or any of the other high-profile females associated with the Gotham theme. Her name is Eleanor and she’s the newest creation of New York Mortgage Banker Mike Ashley and this prize-winning catch is currently undergoing the final stages of completion at Alan Pittman’s AP Race Car shop located in Pelzer, SC.
The driving force behind Ashley’s new entry is Unique Performance, the sponsor on the special edition musclecar, acquired the exclusive rights to reproduce the Shelby GT 500E version for car collectors worldwide. This special G.T. 500E is the culmination of a project spearheaded by Carroll Shelby, Shelby Licensing, and Unique Performance. Businessmen Doug Hasty, Richard Kearby and Chris Lane created Unique Performance in an effort to both preserve and create history for customers nationwide that seek vehicles offering exclusive performance and creativity.
“We plan to do lots of testing because we are committed to winning,” explained Ashley. “I honestly believe that this will be the most difficult season ever because of the increase in quality teams participating in the NHRA AMS Pro Modified Challenge and the limitation of an eight-car field. “We are looking to gain an edge. We haven’t found it yet. We will continue to flog the motor and blower combination looking for it. Our cars will have plenty of runs on them by the time the season starts.” The extended pre-season testing schedule, which will conclude in mid-March at the CompetitionPlus.com Spring Open at Virginia Motorsports Park, gives Ashley the opportunity to refine a new supercharged Hemi engine program. Along with teammate Scotty Cannon and Rowe, Ashley’s InfiNet/Unique Performance/Oakley alliance expects to log nearly 100 – 150 laps on the car before the season-opening NHRA MAC Tools Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
The Gotham City team has taken delivery of a new transporter and plans to use the new equipment make a high quality presentation for not only the team, but also for the sponsors and the Pro Modified division as a whole. However, until the final testing event, the car will be run in primer. At the Virginia Motorsports Park outing, the new paint scheme from Illusions Paint & Body will be unveiled. Veteran tuner Chuck Ford will serve as crewchief for both Ashley and Rowe, while consulting with Cannon on the Oakley-sponsored ’53 Studebaker. Additional support for the radical new Shelby GT500E comes from KHL Entertainment, KHL Enterprises, Carol Shelby Enterprises and Mike’s Company Lend America. InfiNet Insurance will be the primary sponsor on the 1941 Willys. For more information, visit http://www.gothamcityracing.com.
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