THOMSON MAKING MUSTANG DEBUT AT MOSPORT

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The Ford Racing Mustang Challenge Media car, which has seen a wide range of drivers jump in to experience the competitive nature of the Mustang Challenge through the 2009 season, will add a new name to its roof this weekend as Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge entrant and racer Karl Thomson will race this weekend as the series heads north to Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Thomson, who has five wins as a driver in Koni competition to his credit, has been racing professionally since 2004, primarily in Grand-Am's Koni Challenge. Thomson has a Koni podium streak that stretches back to 2005. As lead driver and team owner of Compass360 Racing, the Canadian has raced a variety of cars including Acuras, BMW's, Mazda's, Porsches and the Hondas the team currently fields.

The Mustang Challenge race appearance marks a return to the cockpit for Thomson, who has stepped away from driving for the moment to focus on his role as team owner. He’s done so to excellent effect, as his C360R Koni squad made history at New Jersey Motorsports Park as the team scored a remarkable 1-2-3 finish, the first in Koni history.

Thomson calls Toronto home and has been racing at Mosport since he first scored Rookie honors in the 2003 Canadian Touring Car Championship, and is relishing the chance to strap back into the car and go racing this weekend.

“Anytime you get the opportunity to race at Mosport, it is something you look forward to as a driver, so to get the chance to drive a Ford Mustang there this weekend is one that I’m really excited about,” said Thomson.

“Even though I have a lot of experience driving at Mosport, I know that I will be racing against guys who have a lot of experience in these cars so I have pretty realistic expectations for the weekend. Although I will admit that from what I have seen of the races, the guys fighting for a spot in the top ten seem to be having just as much fun as the guys trying to race to the podium, so I am really looking forward to this.”

The Media Car, which is prepared by Capaldi Racing and races with the No. 00, has also been driven by Jack Roush Jr., James Hunt, Andy Lally, and Fox radio personality Rob D’Amico so far in the 2009 season.

The Mosport weekend, part of the traditional Fathers Day weekend event at the Ontario facility, will get underway with practice on Friday before setting the grid in qualifying on Saturday. Round 7 of the 2009 Mustang Challenge season is slated to take the green flag at 11 a.m. Sunday.