On the established side, CMA Motorsports is returning with a two-car effort, up from one car last year, as is JBS Motorsports. The father and son Hickham Motorsports team is back with a single entry. Rehagen Racing is fielding three cars, as is Hyper Sport - who were down to one car at the end of last year.

A new team, CA Sport, is based out of Miller Motorsport Park and will be bringing their #68 Mustang to be driven by Vesko Kozarov and Keith Rossberg, both Utah residents. Another new team is Horsepower Ranch, announced in December. Mike Canney and Jack Roush Jr. are the team principals, both of whom were running under the Rehagen banner last year.

CP: It's a little over a week until the Grand AM KONI Challenge season opens at Daytona International Speedway. Are the Horsepower Ranch cars ready?

Mike Canney: Yes, we are ready. Our Mustangs have proven to be very reliable, and our drivers avoided any issues on-track, so the preparations are going very quickly. We've had a few parts freshened for the race and installed, so we are ready to go.

Jack Roush, Jr.: Absolutely. The test session proved to be especially fortunate for our team this year. We were able to identify and fix a few mechanical issues with the cars that could have been problematic during the race. It's nice to be able to fix these types of issues and tune the car without the frantic rush of a race weekend.

CP: What changes, if any, have you made since Test Days eariler this month?

MC: We tested the two cars with different suspension setups, and learned that our drivers were quickest with one setup. We are converting the second car to that setup. We went with our practice motors, now we are changing to fresh motors for the race. We also moved our shop from Virginia to Mooresville (N.C.) after the test days, so we spent a week or so getting moved in and stocked for the season.

JR: As Mike has alluded to, we've been collaborating very closely between our two cars (the No. 61 ROUSH/Valvoline Mustang and the No. 60 Sunset Hills Vineyard Mustang) in an attempt to combine our knowledge of what these cars like. I believe that we found a few strategies on our set-ups that will work best for this race, and that's what we've updated the cars with since the test session.

CP: You've been on a pretty fast track. What was the biggest challenge you've faced since announcing the new Horsepower Ranch project?

MC: We needed to form a team, get the cars prepped, purchase spares, and moved our shop, all in the first 60 days. So I would say that the logistics have been the biggest challenge!

JR: I have to hand it to Mike. He's been handling the logistics of the team and I know that it's a big job. As for challenges that I've been facing relating to the new team, I've been working with some of the marketing people at Roush Fenway Racing to shore up some remaining sponsorship for the season.

CP: What is your strategy going to be for the Daytona race? The track isn't going to be as crowded, since entries are down by a third over last year.

MC: We need to qualify well, stay up front and avoid abusing the car. Last year we ran well, and led the race for over an hour. I think the main thing is going to be to conserve the car so that we have a solid car in the final laps. You can't win the race in the first two hours, but you can probably lose it.

JR: Mike is spot on. Last year, Dean Martin and I had a rough start to the season (in the No. 59 ROUSH/Valvoline Mustang fielded by Rehagen Racing). We were running very well, but we had problems in some of the earlier races that ruined our finish, things like contact with other cars, pit stop errors (including when we came in), etc. Once we addressed these problems in our strategy, we began our long string of top five and top ten finishes that continue through the end of the season. These ideas will, without a doubt, apply at Daytona.

CP: What has the past season taught you to look out most for this time around?

MC: Preparation and practice. Last year, certain teams were consistently at the top of the charts and they didn't get there by accident. They were well prepared, and practiced. We are looking to the ROUSH organization to help us understand how to be better prepared to race, and to win.

JR: For me, it is the importance of staying out of trouble, and in this, it helps a tremendous amount to qualify at the front. Not only is it typically not so much of a swarm at the front, but the drivers there tend to be more in control of their cars and themselves.

CP: There are 14 Mustangs out of the 33 entries for Daytona. That's almost half of the current GS field and double the number of Mustangs that competed at VIR last year. Is this a resurgence in Mustang popularity among the racers?

MC: Absolutely. The Mustangs are surprisingly fast cars, fun and forgiving to drive, and are there at the end of the race. I think the components are under-stressed, so they work as well at the end of the race as they do at the start. For the performance and fun-factor, I think that the Ford Mustang is best value out there.

JR: I would say that that's probably true. Ford is coming out with a new Mustang this year (a 2010 model year), and it wouldn't surprise me if this surge in popularity is a result of the excitement around this new car. As with any car model, there tends to be an ebb-and-flow in its interest based on when significant changes are made. Historically, the Mustang has always been a popular car.

However, when the 2005 Mustang came out, it represented a truly historic shift in the auto industry -- one of the true muscle cars went back to the styling of its truly defining time. This new Mustang keeps on with this and adds to it with its smoother lines and other refinements. I can't speak for other racers, but for me, I take great pride in driving a Mustang against some of the other leading performance cars.

CP: Thanks for your time and best of luck in the Fresh From Florida 200 event.