The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge kicked off the 2014 season with testing last January 3-5 at Daytona International Speedway. With the New Year came a new organization: IMSA replaces Grand-Am as the series’ sanctioning body. Grand-Am and IMSA merged in late 2013, with the newly-merged company now owned by NASCAR’s France family.

As a bitterly cold winter weather blanketed much of the country, Daytona seemed like a friendly place to escape Old Man Winter’s grip and spend some time at the race track. Friday was cold and windy, but high temperatures warmed up over the weekend to the 70’s on Sunday. The wide range of track temperatures kept teams busy trying different setups in preparation for the race in three weeks.

Scott Maxwell rounds the “International Horseshoe” during the first testing session at Daytona on January 3nd. Since Multimatic Motorsports raced Aston Martin Vantages during the 2012 and 2013 season, the #15 was called up from retirement for testing at Daytona.

Testing that is organized by IMSA is a double-edged sword: teams can test new drivers and setups, but keep in mind they are doing so in front of their competitors…and the rule-makers. So many teams sandbag. We’re not talking about scooping up some Daytona Beach sand into a burlap sack and stacking them on the beach before the next hurricane. Rather, “sandbagging” for racers is going fast in certain sections of the track that are of interest to the teams, but going slowly in others as to not set a quick lap time. After all, the series is watching the time sheets and speed traps to see if any particular type of car has a clear advantage. Rule makers love to add weight, reduce RPM limits, and make smaller air intake restrictors for cars that are too fast.

Lucas Bize and young gun David Levine co-drove the #78 Racer’s Edge Motorsports Mustang BOSS 302R at Daytona. The team currently has one car entered for the Daytona race in three weeks.

With that in mind, looking at fast times from the weekend is rather pointless. We can say, however, that Mustangs will be as competitive as ever this season. All competitors are allowed to run more negative camber in 2014 (-3.5 degrees, up a half degree), which benefits cars with strut front suspensions, like the Mustang BOSS 302R.

Also, Multimatic Motorsports returned to the track with Mustangs, the car they drove to claim the 2005 championship. Their #158 set the fastest time of the Mustangs in testing with a 1:56.941 lap. It was 6th quickest of the weekend, but in light of likely sandbagging, some cars are sure to go faster, including the BOSS 302Rs.

Speedy youngster Jade Buford (who set a series-record six pole positions in 2013) rejoins Scott Maxwell in the #15 Mustang BOSS 302R for 2014. Last season they were unable able to capitalize on their pole-setting performances, never finishing higher than 4th. We expect them to be very hungry for a win this season. Multimatic dusted off the #15 and brought it to Daytona for Buford and Maxwell to test, the steed still wearing its 2011-spec taillights.

With ROUSH Performance bowing out of the series for 2014, Mustang ace Billy Johnson will co-drive with veteran Ian James in the former Miller/Dempsey Racing #158 Mustang BOSS 302R.

What makes Multimatic’s switch back to Mustangs intriguing is what it means for later in the season. Multimatic as an OEM supplier of suspension components to Ford Motor Company for the Mustang. They are also tasked with developing Ford’s race cars. (They developed the Mustang FR500C and the Mustang BOSS 302R). So, we expect a new S550-chassis race car to roll out of a Multimatic trailer sometime later this season.

Phoenix American Motorsports returned to Daytona with another Mustang BOSS 302R that they built in-house to join their other car. Andrew Aquilante and Kurt Rezzetano tested the #32 Mustang BOSS 302R at Daytona, while Preston Calvert shook down the #35.

Lucas Bize and young gun David Levine co-drove the #78 Racer’s Edge Motorsports Mustang BOSS 302R at Daytona. The team currently has one car entered for the Daytona race in three weeks.

With ROUSH Performance moving to Pirelli World Challenge 2014, they won’t repeat their victory at Daytona. However, stay tuned to see if a Mustang BOSS 302R from a different team take the checkered flag at the “World Center of Racing.”

The Racer’s Edge Motorsports Mustang BOSS 302R brakes hard for the “West Horseshoe” during testing at Daytona.

Speedy youngster Jade Buford (who set a series-record six pole positions in 2013) rejoins Scott Maxwell in the #15 Mustang BOSS 302R for 2014. They were unable able to capitalize on their pole-setting performances, never finishing higher than 4th. We expect them to be very hungry for a win this season. Multimatic dusted off the #15 and brought it to Daytona for Buford and Maxwell to test, the steed still wearing its 2011-spec taillights.

To keep top speeds down at the track, Daytona’s sports car layout includes the “Bus Stop Chicane” on the back straight. Here, the #78 Racer’s edge Motorsports Mustang BOSS 302R exits the turn complex and powers back onto Daytona’s banking, heading toward NASCAR turn #3.

Phoenix American Racing’s #35 Mustang BOSS 302R hustles through Daytona’s “Bus Stop Chicane” during testing followed closely by the #158 Multimatic Motorsports Mustang.

Phoenix American Racing’s #35 Mustang BOSS 302R clips the inside curbing on the exit of Daytona’s “Bus Stop Chicane.” A fast exit of this turn is critical to maximizing speed on the banking.