Marcus Bicknell has registered to race in the CMMCS Super Saloons in 2021 with his 1999 Ford Taurus Ascar Mk3 6.2 litre V8.
Based on the 1999 ASA (American Speed Association) Ford Taurus production body shape (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus_(fourth_generation), the chassis was manufactured by Chas Howe in the USA in 2000 and prepped for racing in the UK by RML and Geoff Hauser Racing. The composite body is by Five Star Bodies in Wisconsin.
This car was raced as the #66 by Legends and European SCSA champion John Mickel at Rockingham Motor Speedway 2001-2005 with TorqueSpeed racing; he also raced it in the USA and made some of the mods there. These developments and the latest LS3 engine lead us to call this car an Ascar Mk3. The Ford body was fitted by John in his last season, 2005. The car continued with Duncan Gray #31 at Rockingham till ASCAR races ended in 2009.
New owner Marcus Bicknell prepped his ASCAR for 2019 in Joey Logano #22 NASCAR 2018 champion livery. This is the same livery Marcus had on the ‘71 Ford Mustang Mach 1 which he sold in late 2018 to Martin Reynolds. Marcus’s team-mate Andrew Knight in the #97 Pontiac ASCAR (photo below right) and Martin ra
ce with Bernie’s Sports Racing & V8s promoted by the 750 Motor Club. Marcus installed the Chevy crate engine giving a reliable 540 bhp at the flywheel @ 6500 rpm and 490 lb-foot of torque. Preparation in 2019/20 was by V8 race car specialist Duane Kidd’s Revolution Fabrications at Stanton near Bury St Edmunds supported by Chris Richardson and Lee Maddox. Paint by Steve Ware’s Paint 88. Vinyl decals by Neil Allgood’s AGR Signs. 2021 prep by Kevin Borland in Corby. The car was rebadged Mustang in 2020 as Nascar did but it’s a Taurus in all but name.
4 wins in 2019 and 2 in 2020 with the 750 Motor Club and the CSCC; hoping to be at the pointy end of the CMMCS races, especially at the longer circuits.
You can read more about the technical specs of the car, and see more images, in the two page pdf linked here… ASCAR flyer Feb 2021
