This Mustang was owned by Mickey Rupp. It was originally in the Old Crow paint scheme until it was changed to the civilian/racing paint scheme that it last wore as the Samurai. Mickey raced it for several years at Reno--from the late 80's to the early 90's. Unfortunately, it suffered an engine failure and was substantially damaged in a forced landing and Rupp was injured (in approx. 1996). I am not certain as to the present status of the aircraft.I believe he also raced the same aircraft during the 60's once or twice in the Harold's Club Transcontinental Trophy Dash. He did enter a Mustang then, but it may have been a different one (not sure).

45-11453, former Bolivian FAB-511, if not mistaken ferry-flown back by Jock McKay, C-GXUP, later "Old Crow" as N551MR before becoming Samurai N59038.

I was Mick’s neighbor for a number of years. He told me his last Mustang, which became Samurai, was the 5th Mustang he had owned since the 1960’s.
He took my then-wife for an aerobatic ride on her birthday, at my request, shortly before the transition from Old Crow to Samurai. Never took me, though.
We had some moments…that are better left unsaid.

When he was looking for an engine builder, as he was getting serious about racing, a local high performance engine machine shop owner I had worked with in the past recommended me. Unfortunately, Mick chose a guy with Formula 1 boat engine experience instead. The guy had no aircraft engine experience. I never bothered to ask Mick if he regretted his choice.

I was on the ground at Naked Lady Ranch one day, when Mick was testing his race engine. He came in on the deck at 400+ mph, then suddenly chopped the power, and circled south out of sight. After an uncomfortable period of time, he came in to the north-south runway, dragging it in, and landed on 36.
I witnessed the landing, which was not up to his usual standard, but there was a curtain of red blanketing the rear of the canopy.
He taxied home, and shortly after, EMS came in.
He had hit a buzzard at over 400 mph…didn’t break the windscreen, but wrapped around it and shattered the canopy. He lost one eye immediately, from plexiglass fragments, and the other eye was obscured by blood from cuts on his forehead. It took him some time flying blind, to find a point where the airstream blew the blood away from his good eye. Then, he was able to orient himself, and land the plane successfully.
Although we sometimes had differences of opinion, I greatly respected him for being able to make that landing.

He continued to fly, after getting an FAA waiver for the loss of one eye.

I also saw the last crash, after the fact. If he hadn’t clipped an oak tree on short emergency final, he likely would have had way less damage, and Samurai might have survived. It was a sad day.

I still have a couple of Roush pistons from Samurai, one that raced at Reno, one spare.