Brothers Benny and Leo Ortiz have been around the racing scene since the ‘80s, and now are looking to make a move into the world of heads-up racing. They have enlisted the help of the best shops in the business to make sure their transition into the big leagues is smooth, and allow them to be competitive right out of the gate. The 2009 Shelby G.T. 500 they have picked to run is sure to grab attention at the track with the bright yellow paint, and big turbo out front.

The Ortiz brothers got their start racing on the streets of Brooklyn, before they moved into grudge racing. Dipping their toes into the more conventional X275 type of class racing will be a first for them, but shouldn’t be a challenge at all. The choice of car was easy for them Benny explains: “My brother and I have always loved the Shelby G.T. 500 since this body style came out in 2005. My Brother Leo loved it so much he named his daughter Shelby.”

Powering the car will be a nasty 400X motor from Bennett Racing Engines. A TH400 supplied by Mark Micke at M&M Transmission will help put the power down to the track from the Bennett powerplant. Stuffing the boost into the engine will be a Precision 85 Pro Mod Gen2, and a turbo kit from Pressurized Solutions. The chassis of the Mustang was built by Gary Naughton Race Cars, and features a Moser M9 rearend, along with Menscer Motorsports shocks. All of the electronics were mounted and wired by Troy Baum at Race Wires.

Benny knows this project was a big undertaking, and is thankful for all the help received in this process: “My brother and I would like to thank Kenny Doak from K&K Enterprises, Gary Naughton, John Kolivas from KBX Performance, Bennett Racing Engines, Derek and Drew at Pressurized Solutions, and Troy Baum from Race Wires.”

The Ortiz brothers plan to have the Shelby out soon for testing, then will running both X275 and NMRA Street Outlaw.