The new, seventh-generation Ford Mustang will compete in next year’s NASCAR Cup Series. The automaker revealed the latest Dark Horse motorsport variant today, which will make its racing debut at the series’ Clash at the Coliseum early next year.
The Mustang has been racing full-time in NASCAR since 2011, competing in the Xfinitiy Cup. It began competing in the Cup Series in 2019, winning 18 races the following year. Joey Logano won the driver’s championship in 2022, piloting a Mustang to victory, and Ford hopes to build on those successes with the new race car.
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Ford Performance worked with its NASCAR race teams to develop the vehicle. They “worked tirelessly in the wind tunnel” to create the car. NASCAR launched the Gen 7 race cars in 2022 to lower costs for teams and make the cars look more like their road-going counterparts.
The Blue Oval introduced the Mustang Dark Horse over a year ago, along with the track-only Dark Horse S and R. The trim is the starting point for many of the automaker’s new race cars. Under the hood of the road-going car is a peppier version of the brand’s 5.0-liter V8 engine that makes 500 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque.
The Dark Horse S is a stripped-down version of the trim for “weekend track day enthusiasts.” The R is an even racier version that will be able to compete in the new IMSA-sanctioned 2024 Mustang Challenge series.
The Dark Horse, the Mustang’s first new nameplate in over two decades, is the basis for the GT3 and GT4. The GT4 packs a Coyote-based 5.0-liter V8 engine, while the GT3 racing at the 2024 Hours of Le Mans features a larger 5.4-liter V8 from M-Sport.
The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Mustang Dark Horse will debut on February 4. The car will race in the Clash at the Coliseum at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The new Mustang is now eligible to battle for podiums on six continents.