SEBRING, Fla. – Mary Hohn and Pascal Fankhauser traveled nearly 5,000 miles, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Geneva, Switzerland, to central Florida for a special reason: the Ford Mustang.

The classic pony car has been close to the couple’s hearts for decades, so they arranged to travel halfway across the globe to see the Mustang GT3 compete in the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race in mid-March.

Hohn said her love of Mustangs started at a young age when she hoped to own her dream car someday. Her first Mustang wasn’t typical for a Swiss driver: a red 1973 Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 cubic-inch Cleveland engine. Hohn has had the Mach 1 since 1985, marking 40 years of ownership.

“Mustang to me is freedom,” Hohn said. “I was born for Mustang. When I was a little girl, all I wanted was a Mustang. It’s a dream and a legend. That’s why they call me ‘Mary Mustang Girl’ in Geneva."

Hohn and Fankhauser own more than 10 of the Blue Oval’s sports cars.

Down in Sebring, the couple embraced every moment of their trip. Strolling through the paddock with Swiss and Ford Performance flags waving, the couple looked the part of international sports car racing fans.

“This is the second year the Mustang GT3 is racing, and we wanted to see it race in person," Hohn said. "Sebring is a beautiful place — it’s amazing! It’s a dream to be here."

Brendan Capria writes for the Ford Performance Communications team.