More than 300 Mustangs coming to Bossier for Mustangs Across America

In 2009, the Ford Mustang will celebrate its 40-year anniversary. In April of that year, Bossier City will host more than 300 Mustangs and their drivers as part of Mustangs Across America.

On Tuesday, April 14, the Red River Classic Mustang Club will be hosting an overnight stay for the Mustangs Across America. This will be their last stop en route to Birmingham, Ala. for Ford’s 45th Mustang anniversary celebration. The Mustangs Across America are individuals and car club members throughout the United States and other countries.

This 45th anniversary drive is represented by over 30 US states as well as the countries of Australia, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and Sweden. By the time they arrive in Bossier City, there will be 350 plus cars.

While in the local area, the Mustangs will be displayed in the parking lot of Rodeway Inn. So far, there are 34 states and eight countries represented in the drive. “We have always had participants from around the world, but this year is shattering all previous records”, says event coordinator Sam Haymart.

“Over 50 parties have registered from abroad including over 30 from Australia alone”. Most of the participants coming from overseas are planning to rent Shelby Hertz and other Mustangs for the drive, while some are planning to transport their cars to America for the adventure.

The planned caravan drive kicks off in Las Vegas, NV on April 11 at the Shelby Automobiles Factory. Participants will celebrate at an evening reception the night before and will start the drive at the front door of Carroll Shelby’s shop. From there, the five-day road trip to Birmingham, Ala. for Mustang Club Of America’s big Mustang 45th Anniversary Show at Barber Motorsports Park continues a Mustang tradition.

Each day of the drive involves planned events and tours, lunch stops, and overnight stays. The 2009 Mustangs Across America drive has some new routes and byways planned along old sections of Route 66 as well as off-shoot trips to places like Santa Fe, NM and Clinton, Okla. for some sightseeing.

Mustangs Across America organizes the convoy drive with a schedule of about 400 miles a day with planned staging areas, lunch stops, and overnight accommodations. The group works with local chambers of commerce, clubs, and sponsors to add local events, tours, and gatherings along the five-day road trip. Enthusiasts are welcome to join in the adventure for the entire trip or just for a short segment or two.

“The 45th Anniversary Drive is shaping up to be the biggest Mustangs Across America drive ever”, says Haymart. “Hotels are already filling up in many overnight stops and we are adding third and fourth properties to keep up”. The Mustangs Across America 45th Anniversary drive is expected to garner over 500 Mustangs in the group to make their way to the MCA Show in Birmingham, Ala.

The Mustang Club of America actively supports national charities such as the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, National Organ Donor, and most recently Ford’s Warriors in Pink (cancer research).

The Red River Classic Mustang Club is a regional club in the MCA. The club members are from Bossier City - Shreveport area. They are active year round in raising money for the “I’m Still Me Bum Camp”, fan drives for the Council on Aging, police and fire departments’ Operation Santa, and the Shreveport - Bossier Rescue Mission.
The Red River Classic Mustang club holds an annual car show in which the proceeds go towards buying Christmas presents for the Bossier Foster Care Program.  This year’s show was held last week at Wray Ford.

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