DEARBORN, Mich. - Tired of winter and the Polar Vortex making it seem like the car show season is still light years away? Well, actually it’s only as far away as Florida! That’s because one of the season’s first big Mustang & Ford shows is coming up in sunny Lakeland, Florida, on February 23. That’s when the Imperial Mustangs of Polk County is presenting its annual “Mustangs and Mustangs ... Legends Havin' Fun” show at Sun N Fun in the Lakeland Linder Airport. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and registration ($45) is open from 8-10 a.m. See the club’s website, www.imperialmustangclub.org, for more information.

If you can’t wait until the 23^rd, there’s automotive fun to be had at the annual “Zephyrhills Auto Events” extended weekend at Festival Park in Zephyrhills, Florida, February 14-17. There you’ll find an Auto Swap Meet, Car Corral, Car Show, Car Auction, Valve Cover Races, Trivia Question Contest and daily door prizes and food vendors. The event offers more than 1,400 spaces filled with vendors selling cars, parts, antiques, tools, toys and all sorts of auto-related items. Click on the site link for details.

Prefer to start your year off with a little racing action? Then head to the season-opening NMRA Ford Nationals event dubbed the “Spring Break Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park in Bradenton, Florida from February 28 through March 3. The NMRA Ford Nationals is the largest All-Ford motorsport series in the U.S., and features an exciting lineup of all-Ford championship and shootout drag racing classes, car shows, and special events at fine facilities and markets across the Midwest and East Coast.

“We’re happy to kick-off our season with the Spring Break Shootout, a legacy event in Bradenton, Florida, that has captured the Mustang market since the mid-1990s,” said NMRA General Manager Rollie Miller. “New for 2019 will be a stop at Gateway Motorsports Park for the NMRA Gateway Rumble, and the Ford Motorsport Nationals in Pennsylvania moving to late-June. In addition to those stops on the tour, we will be visiting the usual mainstays on our schedule with Atlanta Dragway and the Route 66 Raceway before we complete the season at Beech Bend Raceway.”

Since 1999, the NMRA has brought Ford and Mustang fans competitive grassroots all-Ford drag racing combined with all-Ford car shows, manufacturers’ midways, burnout contests, grudge nights, specialty classes, celebrity appearances and more. Here’s the full 2019 NMRA event schedule:

Feb. 28 – Mar. 3, 2019

• 25^TH ANNUAL NMRA SPRING BREAK SHOOTOUT
• Bradenton Motorsports Park
• Bradenton, FL

April 4-7, 2019

• 11^TH ANNUAL NMRA/NMCA ALL-STAR NATIONALS
• Atlanta Dragway
• Commerce, GA

May 16-19, 2019

• INNAUGURAL NMRA GATEWAY RUMBLE
• Gateway Motorsports Park
• Madison, IL

June 27-30, 2019

• 19^TH ANNUAL NMRA FORD MOTORSPORT NATIONALS
• Maple Grove Raceway
• Mohnton, PA

July 25-28, 2019

• 14^TH ANNUAL NMRA/NMCA SUPER BOWL OF STREET-LEGAL DRAG RACING
• Route 66 Raceway
• Joliet, IL
• Sept. 26-29, 2019

21^ST ANNUAL NMRA ALL-FORD WORLD FINALS

• Beech Bend Raceway Park
• Bowling Green, KY
• For more information on the NMRA Ford Nationals visit www.NMRAdigital.com or call 714/444-2426.

Make Plans Now to Attend an MCA National Show During 2019

Of the hundreds of regional Mustang car shows held all across the country each year, the Mustang Club of America has selected only four to serve as "MCA National" shows – and only ONE of those four as the year's "Grand National" show. These are the big, memorable, officially judged shows that Mustang lovers will gladly travel long distances to attend – and even plan their family vacations around! Well, we've got word on which shows the MCA has selected as their "Nationals" events for 2019 – so get your calendars out:

The three 2019 MCA Nationals are: Mustangs Take Flight, March 29-31 at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston Texas, hosted by the Northside Mustang Club; the Northern Star National Mustang Show June 28-30 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, Minnesota, hosted by the Southwest Metro Mustang Club; and the Stampede To The Heartland MCA Show and Track Event, July 18-21, at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas.

The 2019 MCA Grand National is the Capital Horsepower show, August 30-September 1 at the Expo Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, hosted by the National Capital Region (DC/MD/VA) Mustang Club. Check the club sites for more info.

Ford Performance is planning to attend the “Mustangs Take Flight” show in Houston, March 29-31, so stop by the Ford Performance Meet & Greet Tent on the show field and receive a FREE full-color Mustang poster. If you’re wondering what to expect at this big show, check out this video preview HERE. And in case you've missed some of the top events we showcase each week in 'Fast News,' look for exclusive coverage in our Enthusiast News Room. There you’ll find Ford enthusiast and club perspective that you can't find anywhere else on the Web, and it's only available on FordPerformance.com!

Replacement 2001 Mustang Bullitt ID Labels Now Available

With Bullitt making Mustang headlines these days, did you know that the Ford Performance Info Center has recently begun handling replacement requests for the 2001 Mustang Bullitt shock tower holographic I.D. labels? The Info Center has acquired all remaining inventory of the labels and once they are gone, they are gone for good, so if you need a replacement for a damaged or missing factory label, the time to order yours is now! The Ford Performance Info Center will mail you a new label for your 2001 Bullitt, upon receipt of the following information (via email to FWRNTY@Ford.com):

• Full VIN of the vehicle
• Picture of the damaged / missing I.D Label
• A contact at your local Ford dealership (Service Advisor is usually the best)
• Please include the dealership’s shipping information

Note: Your Ford dealership MUST perform the removal / installation of this official Ford factory replacement label. These original labels are the only remaining inventory, which were made back in 2001 when the first Mustang Bullitt models were being built.  Contacting the Ford Performance Info Center is the ONLY way to get your factory replacement label. This program is offered free of charge, and is being done as a courtesy to all 2001 Mustang Bullitt owners.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Ford Performance Info Center at 800-367-3788, option 1, or via email: FWRNTY@Ford.com

Ford Performance Expands its ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ Program

Our Ford Performance Info Center has also been hard at work expanding its "Certificate of Authenticity" program yet again to now include the 2015 and 2016 Shelby GT350 Mustang as well as the Shelby GT350R for those years. This Ford Performance Certificate of Authenticity Package for the Shelby GT350 includes an official Ford performance Certificate of Authenticity, VIN decoder, Production Summary Chart, Poster, Tri-Fold Brochure, Certificate Sleeve, Track Tips, Window Sticker, "Disc Brake Rotor & Caliper" Business Card Holder, as well as a Cobra logo Keychain.

Many GT350 owners and enthusiasts will notice that this special package contains many of the items that were included in the Owners Supplement kit that came with GT350's when they were originally sold. Please note that there is LIMITED AVAILABILITY for these items, so order now!

Word of the new GT350 package comes on the heels of the recent announcement that the Ford Performance Info Center had also expanded its “Certificate of Authenticity” offerings to now include the 2014 MCA Edition Mustang. You can order either via our Ford Performance Info Center by phone (1-800-FORD-788) or online directly from our Ford Show Parts website.

Get Your Mustang’s Airbag Recall Completed!

The Takata airbag recalls are the largest and most complex recalls in U.S. automotive history. The recalls currently affect 19 automotive manufacturers and roughly 37 million vehicles. Among these affected vehicles are 2005-2014 model year Mustang vehicles.

In 2014, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Takata Corporation determined that a defect related to motor vehicle safety may arise in some non-desiccated, ammonium nitrate airbag inflators due to propellant degradation occurring after prolonged exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling. This degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, creating high pressure inside the inflator, and in extreme cases causing the inflator to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating airbag deployment.  A ruptured inflator can send inflator parts toward vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death. Additional information regarding Takata recalls can be found at www.nhtsa.gov and www.safercar.gov.

Parts are readily available to repair currently recalled Mustang vehicles. Ford sent out weekly mailings last October and November to all Mustang owners whose vehicle currently has an open Takata airbag recall. It is important that you determine if your vehicle is affected and, if so, have it repaired FREE by a Ford or Lincoln Dealer, especially before it goes into storage for the winter.

In some cases, only the driver’s or passenger’s side may be affected. In other cases, both the driver’s side and passenger’s side need to be repaired. The passenger side airbag cover is not replaced during the repair, so any signatures or other insignia on your dash will remain.

This situation requires immediate attention and is not to be taken lightly. You can input your VIN at www.FordAirbagInfo.com to see if your vehicle is affected by the airbag recall and locate a dealership to you schedule your repair. If you need assistance scheduling an appointment, or your dealership indicates that they are not able to obtain parts to repair your vehicle, please contact our Ford Customer Care Team at 1-866-436-7332.

Here’s How Easy it is to Have Your Car Featured in our Ford Fan Spotlight

For the past decade, one of the most popular features on FordPerformance.com and in our Fast News e-newsletter continues to be "Ford Fan Spotlight," where readers can send in their own reasons why they're fans of Ford Motor Company. You know who they are: Ford "superfans;" grassroots Ford racers; unique Ford vehicle owners; loyal Ford enthusiasts; notable Ford club people; special Ford families; and/or any avid supporter of Ford, Ford vehicles, Ford motorsports or Ford Performance who deserves a little bit of special recognition.

All you need to do to get you, your car or candidate considered is to send in a brief description (200-500 words or less) and a few photos (in .jpeg format, preferably 300 dpi) of a person (full name and hometown, please) and vehicle that you think Ford Performance should feature (and why) in the "Ford Fan Spotlight" for an upcoming installment of Fast News and posting on FordPerformance.com. Then email it to: ClubHub@Ford.com. Should you wish to send a video, you simply need to post it on www.YouTube.com (preferably 1-2 minutes long) and send in the link, along with a brief description, to that same ClubHub@Ford.com email address. We'll choose one submission each week. We hope to see YOU and your Ford in our Spotlight soon!

In the meantime, make sure you get out there and find and attend a Ford club meeting this winter, join a Ford club or enthusiast group and discover the fun and all the friendly people involved in the world of Ford Performance. (It’s EASY to find a great Ford club in your area here.) We’re sure that being connected with each other and with Ford will make your ownership experience even more enjoyable!

No matter what you decide you’d like to do with your free time, the great thing about owning a performance Ford is that – unlike with buying one of those “appliances” from the other automakers – when you buy a Ford, you buy into an entire enthusiast world! That’s because Ford cars and trucks have the kind of personality and style that forges a personal connection with their owners, who in turn celebrate ownership each year at hundreds of enthusiast events all over the country.

Stay tuned to our “What’s Happening” section under the “Enthusiasts” tab of FordPerformance.com to catch the latest show news. We’ll also provide the best online coverage from some of the top-notch venues sponsored by various Ford enthusiast clubs with our “Quick Look” photo galleries, or via the special features posted in our Enthusiasts Newsroom. There you’ll get the inside stories on Ford people, events and places as well as unique Ford club content that you can't find anywhere else on the Web. We do it because, just like you, we’re driving Ford passion!