Owner: Jessie Gunter
From: Willow Spring, North Carolina
Year/Make/Model: 2020 Ford Shelby GT500
Nickname: Shelly
Category: Highway Race Car
FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA
For our November 2025 Issue 63, cars are more than objects. The special ones become part of the family. For Jessie Gunter of Willow Spring, North Carolina, that truth sits supercharged under the hood of his 2020 Ford Shelby GT500, affectionately known as Shelly. What began as a graduation gift has grown into something far more meaningful. She’s the embodiment of years of sacrifice, determination, and a childhood dream Jessie never expected to reach.
The Promise That Changed Everything
When Jessie made the decision to return to school to get his associates, bachelors and masters degree (Which was accomplished in seven years), sacrifices had to be made. His beloved Focus ST got sold to help cover expenses, a painful but necessary move. But his wife made him a promise that kept him grinding through late-night study sessions and endless coursework: when he finished that degree, they would replace the Focus with whatever car he wanted.
No conditions. No budget restrictions. Whatever. He. Wanted.
As graduation approached, Jessie started shopping with a clear mission: find something that could dominate car shows on Saturday and devour track days on Sunday. The 2020 GT500 checked every single box with 760 supercharged horsepower, lightning-fast dual-clutch transmission, head-turning looks, and the legendary Shelby nameplate.
One year of ownership later, the numbers tell the story. Five track days, over twenty car shows, and more than 7,000 miles of pure automotive joy. The crown jewel moment? Taking home Best Domestic at Hyperfest, a milestone that still feels surreal when Jessie thinks about it.
More Than Metal and Paint
For Jessie, Shelly isn’t just transportation or even just a performance car. She’s an extension of himself. “Because of this car I get to meet so many new people and have so many new experiences that I would have otherwise missed out on,” he explains.
The reactions never get old. Drive Shelly anywhere and you’re guaranteed thumbs-ups from passing cars, people yelling “nice car!” from their windows, or strangers walking up in parking lots just to ask questions and talk shop. It’s the kind of attention that could get annoying with the wrong car or the wrong owner, but for Jessie, it’s exactly what makes ownership special.
His favorite moments happen at car shows, where kids light up at the sight of the GT500. Jessie makes it a point to let them sit inside and take pictures—always remembering that he was once that kid staring wide-eyed at cars he never imagined he’d own.
“Afterwards their parents are always thankful, and I tell them that I was that kid once,” Jessie says. “I just want to get started on the next generation of gearheads.”
The Dream He Never Expected
Why does this Shelby matter so much? Because it represents the culmination of a lifelong dream that seemed impossible for most of his life.
Jessie grew up poor—the kind of poor where owning any cool car felt like fantasy, let alone a limited-production Shelby GT500 with three-quarter-digits of horsepower. But through hard work, determination, and what he proudly calls “the world’s most understanding wife,” he made that childhood dream a reality.
“Ten-year-old me would shit his pants if he saw the cars I own today,” Jessie laughs.
It’s the kind of honest reflection that makes his story resonate—no false modesty, no pretending the achievement doesn’t mean everything. This is a guy who knows exactly where he came from and appreciates every mile of where he’s arrived.
Riding the Bear
Ask Jessie what it’s like behind the wheel, and he doesn’t reach for typical automotive journalism clichés. Instead, you get this: “Driving this car is like riding a bear that’s had wasabi shoved up its ass.”
It’s crude. It’s hilarious. And it’s absolutely perfect.
“This is the only vehicle I’ve ever owned that is trying to kill me,” he explains with genuine enthusiasm. Through corners, the GT500 grabs asphalt like it has claws, the Michelin rubber and sophisticated suspension working together to defy physics. The exhaust bellows and cracks with every shift, announcing your presence to everyone within three zip codes.
But the party piece—the element that makes this GT500 truly special—is the dual-clutch transmission. Forget everything you know about traditional automatics or even other DCTs. This transmission keeps you locked in the powerband, delivering acceleration that’s both unbelievably fast and butter-smooth. Shifts happen so quickly your brain struggles to process them.
“There’s no better feeling than when I hit the gas on a back road and I hear the exhaust and supercharger come alive in a symphony of power as I quickly accelerate to less than legal speeds,” Jessie admits with the grin of someone who knows exactly what he’s doing.
That supercharger whine paired with aggressive exhaust notes creates an addictive soundtrack—the kind that makes you take the long way home just to hear it again.
Keeping It (Mostly) Real
Despite the temptation to go wild with modifications, Jessie has kept Shelly relatively stock—a smart move considering the GT500 already delivers 760 horsepower from the factory.
Performance: Cold air intake for better breathing and that enhanced induction sound
Interior: Carbon fiber steering wheel for better grip and aesthetics, plus dual 10-inch JL Audio subs that let the bass match the exhaust note
Exterior: APR carbon fiber wing, aftermarket wheels, custom stripes and badge decals that give Shelly her unique identity. Paint color- twister orange
Wheels/Tires: Aftermarket Project 6GR (seven) wheels wrapped in stock-fitment Michelin rubber—keeping the factory-engineered performance while adding personal style
It’s the perfect balance—personalized without being overdone, modified without losing the engineering brilliance that makes the GT500 special from the factory.
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, Jessie’s plans are refreshingly simple: enjoy the car. Recent back surgery has put track days on temporary hold, so the immediate future focuses on cosmetic upgrades and maybe—maybe—a bit more power.
Because when you’re starting with 760 horsepower, “a bit more power” means entering truly absurd territory. But that’s the beauty of the platform—there’s always more if you want it.
The Goose Incident
Of all the memories Jessie has made with Shelly, one story stands above the rest—and it involves a goose, a trailer, and the most memorable car show arrival imaginable.
On the way to Hyperfest, disaster struck. While secured on the trailer, the GT500 collided with a goose mid-transit. They rolled onto the show field with the car looking like it had just lost a pillow fight, feathers covering the front end in ways that suggested violence had occurred.
“I am still finding feathers in the front end,” Jessie laughs.
Despite the chaotic arrival and frantic cleaning session, Shelly took home Best Domestic that weekend. Sometimes the best victories come with the wildest backstories.
More Than Horsepower
Standing back and looking at Jessie’s journey with Shelly, you see more than just another GT500 feature. This is a story about promises kept—by a supportive wife who believed in his education and his dreams, and by Jessie himself who refused to let poverty or circumstance define what was possible.
It’s about a kid who grew up poor, staring at cars he thought he’d never touch, now offering other kids the chance to sit in the driver’s seat of a legitimate supercar. It’s about hard work translating into horsepower, determination manifesting in carbon fiber and supercharged V8 thunder.
Shelly isn’t just part of Jessie’s garage—she’s part of his family. She represents every late night studying, every sacrifice made, every promise kept. She’s the physical manifestation of “yes, you can” wrapped in Grabber Lime with racing stripes and an exhaust note that announces victory wherever she goes.
For Jessie Gunter, this GT500 matters because it proves that dreams—even ones that seem impossible when you’re ten years old and broke—can become reality with enough determination, support, and willingness to work for them.
And now, with over 7,000 miles logged and countless more ahead, that reality roars down backroads at “less than legal speeds,” reminding everyone who hears it that sometimes the special ones really do become part of the family.
Ten-year-old Jessie would definitely lose his mind.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Leave a Reply