Ford’s single-make racing platform with the Dark Horse R is set to expand overseas in 2026 with the debut of Mustang Cup Australia.
The new series launch follows a hugely successful international debut for the Dark Horse R at the Circuit de la Sarthe earlier this month, which saw a huge field produce two exciting races in the Le Mans Invitational.
Mustang Cup Australia is the second of Ford’s entry-level series added to its racing ladder, utilising the Dark Horse R for the first time outside of the United States. The series will be organised via a partnership with Driving Solutions, and race on the Shannons SpeedSeries weekends, sanctioned by Motorsport Australia (MSA).
“Driving Solutions and its director, James Stewart, bring more than 20 years of motorsport and automotive industry experience on the continent to our endeavour,” says Chris Ward, Ford’s global one-make series manager.
“Driving Solutions has a long-standing relationship with Ford Australia, having worked with them since 2005.”
Each weekend will feature up to three 30-minute practice sessions, separate 15-minute qualifying sessions and a pair of 40-minute sprint races.
Unique to the Mustang Cup Australia will be the ability to host different drivers in a single vehicle during the weekend. This will allow sessions to be split between two drivers in the same Mustang Dark Horse R and ultimately give each driver an opportunity to strive for their own championship.
This was trialled during the Le Mans Invitational, when Chris Harris and Chris Hoy shared the wheel of an Academy Motorsport-run Dark Horse R during the event.
“The Mustang Cup will fill an important role in Australian motorsport, closing the gap between entry-level cars and professional series such as Supercars or GT3 competition,” Ward adds.
“It is thrilling for us as Ford Performance to bring the series “Down Under”. Dating back to the Australian Touring Car Championship, Ford vehicles have been found on racing circuits around Australia, since the early 1960s. Today, the Mustang competes in various series across the continent and is a growing part of the racing culture.
“These include the Mustang GT4 in Monochrome GT4 Australia and the Mustang Supercar in the Repco Supercars Championship. Adding the Mustang Cup Australia will give a feeder system not only to us at Ford but also throughout most of the continent’s motorsport landscape.
“We look forward to sharing more details in the coming months.”
Featured image courtesy of Jack Martin Photography, secondary image courtesy of Ford Performance
