Our LMR 25th Anniversary event was one of our biggest yet! Steve Turner gives you his view of this Ford-filled event.
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A sense of anticipation was in the air as a huge line of Mustangs and other Fords rumbled into Texas Motor Speedway on November 15, 2024. Revving engine echoed down the entry tunnel to the famed oval track as cars filled the infield for a day of celebration. Not only were Blue Oval fans set to enjoy their favorite machines on the oval track, road course, and show field, but this gathering marked a significant milestone for the host.
More than 25 years ago, the idea of a company focusing on restoring late-model Mustangs from the Fox era and newer was a novel concept. Your author met with Founder Shannon Guderian at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the concept came together and agreed there was something to this wild idea, and 25 years later, that still rings true.
This year’s company cruise-in served as a Silver Anniversary celebration for the company that transformed over the years into LMR, which now caters to 1979-present Mustangs, 1993-1995 and 1999-2004 SVT Lightning pickups, and even 1992-1996 Broncos.
Nearly 2,000 Ford rides packed into the speedway, which ironically saw a 25 percent increase in attendance for the company’s 25th Anniversary. The event, which was dominated by every era of Mustang, was free to attend and served as a special way for the company to celebrate the customers who built the brand over two and a half decades.
On Saturday, November 15, 2024, the LMR Cruise-In brought nearly 2,000 Fords to Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth, Texas, for a cruise-in and fun runs on the road course and NASCAR oval track.
“…It’s the people. People do business with people, not companies, and the longer we go, I think the more us older guys realize that,” LMR Founder Shannon Guderian said. “But I think that’s what it’s about. It’s really just a reflection of everybody’s enthusiasm for the brand. We are blessed with this Secretary’s car.”
The simple recipe of an accessible car that can become the dream machine of the everyman persists to this day. Mustang, in particular, is a special automobile that evokes an emotional connection from its fans. That association is far-reaching as these vehicles bring like-minded people together, and that was on full display at the 25th Anniversary LMR Cruise-In.
From its beginnings as a company dedicated to restoring Fox Mustangs into a full-blown aftermarket powerhouse, LMR’s 25th Anniversary is the manifestation of the American dream. This year’s cruise-in showed the future is bright, as attendance was up by 25 percent.
“It’s surprising that the people’s brains haven’t gotten narrowed up, and they still resonate with this car,” Shannon said of the original pony car’s enduring legacy in the face of shortening attention spans. “I don’t even know what it is, but that’s the magic.”
It was magical for the man who created the company to see his work manifested in the huge crowd of customers and vehicles at this year’s event. For him, these events offer an opportunity to mingle with the enthusiasts who power the company as just another car guy.
“It's my favorite thing because I want an authentic response…” Shannon said. “…Then, if I feel like that, that I can add to their lives, add a little bit of extra spark at the end, an exclamation point, that’s when I'll lean in and say, ‘I appreciate you. I am the owner,’ and it's hard to even say the owner. I’ve actually gotten to where now I’ve said ‘founder’ because it feels more natural.”
The LMR Cruise-In offers the opportunity for customers to meet the people behind the company, and the most public face of LMR is video host Landon Durham, who graciously took photos with fans at Texas Motor Speedway.
It was fitting that the cars the company was founded upon, the ’79-’93 Mustangs, had what looked to be their strongest showing yet at this year’s event. Between two of the garages at Texas Motor Speedway filled with elite Ford machines from every era was a full section of just Fox Mustangs supported by the North Texas Foxbody Club. From patina’d in-progress projects to fully realized Fox Rods, there was something for everyone to enjoy.
A longtime supplier to LMR, Richard Oben of North Racecars, made the trip to Texas Motor Speedway to visit the LMR team and show off his unique Fox-platform machine. Carrying the moniker of Project Black & Tan, it is a 1979 Fairmont Futura powered by a 2014 Coyote 5.0-liter engine swap and reined in by one of his company’s brake kits.
That variety extended to the open cruise-in fields where everything from the modern and classic Mustangs to Ford trucks and SUVs. Many of the vehicles on site also participated in the runs on the road course and around the legendary Texas Motor Speedway oval, which heightened the excitement for drivers and provided a glorious internal combustion soundtrack for the 25th Anniversary festivities.
The action wasn’t confined to the road course at Texas Motor Speedway. Many of the participants, including the owner of this first-gen SVT Lightning, enjoyed fun runs around the 1.5-mile oval track where NASCAR drivers compete.
Included in that fun was another group of elite machines produced by Ford’s now-defunct Special Vehicle Team. Over the years, thanks to the passion LMR’s founder shares for the Cobra R, this event has become a gathering spot for SVT R-models, and LMR’s Silver Anniversary celebration was no different as 1993, 1995, and 2000 Cobra Rs were all on hand, and they ran as a group at speed on the road course, which was a delight for all those in attendance.
It is appropriate that the event showcases the Cobra R, particularly the 2000 R-model. Not only was this car a milestone machine but as Shannon astutely pointed out, it was one of the few factory models that truly brought the production and aftermarket worlds together. It rolled off the production line wearing parts from B&M, Bassani, Bilstein, Borla, Brembo, Carrillo, Eibach, Fuel Safe, Recaro, and TREMEC. Given that LMR is based on the idea of restoring and improving Ford’s pony car with aftermarket hardware, the R-model legacy is a Performance Red example of how bringing those two worlds together results in success.
Over the years, the LMR Cruise-In has become a gathering place for owners of SVT Mustang Cobra Rs, and this year was no exception. Examples of the 1993, 1995, and 2000 R-models were all present, and a group of R-models ran at speed on the road course.
Both factory and aftermarket hardware were on full display for an action-packed day that seemed to come to a close as quickly as it began, as there was so much to do and see. If you were lucky enough to attend this year’s show, you know how great it was to see all those great Fords on display and in action at the speedway. If you missed it, put the next one on your list because, as you can see, it is a one-of-a-kind day of high-performance Ford fun.
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