Mustang Challenge North America is that vital step between “I think I might want to race a Mustang” and “I AM RACING A MUSTANG!”

When you have that kind of place on the career path, you take it seriously. We launched Mustang Challenge in 2024 and, since then, have been learning and building the series to become the bedrock of the Ford Performance Motorsports Pyramid.

From here, you move up to Mustang GT4, then Mustang GT3, and maybe you can take it all the way to the top the new-in-2027 Ford WEC Hypercar program.

As we go into the third season of Ford’s top level of one-make racing with the Dark Horse R, we have the calendar that sets a clear path to follow.

The 2026 Mustang Challenge North America schedule is one of which we can all be particularly proud. Taking a corral of Mustang Dark Horse R race cars to six race weekends at the top tracks in North America is going to be exciting for the drivers, teams, and fans. It also offers the venues that will make the legends of the future.

As a one-make customer racing series, every decision for Mustang Challenge North America is made with the best experience for our customer in mind. We build the series to appeal to the goals of a racer. Where do you want to race? What does the venue provide in terms of the overall experience you are seeking?

This makes the venues and the dates we pick a critical first step to season. It sets the tone of the experience everyone has upon arriving at the track. We approach racing in a professional manner, and being at tracks with the elite talent of sports car racing allows us to race in that purified air.

We feel we have assembled the best blend of tracks racers, families, and fans. The calendar has us in the paddock of premier tracks with the top sports car racing series in the world, surrounded by the Mustang GT4 and GT3 race cars many aspire to race next.

We will open our season in Florida the weekend of the 12 Hours of Sebring. This is the second consecutive season we have taken our first green flag at Sebring, and it already feels like a popular tradition. Being part of such legendary events is one of the draws of our series. Not only are we racing on the iconic tracks, but we are also part of the “Big Show” when it comes to town.

For our second weekend of racing, the series will follow IMSA to Monterey, California, and the world-famous “Corkscrew” at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca the first weekend in May. The season midpoint, June 5-7, will come at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The picturesque track is where Mustang Challenge debuted in 2024, and our drivers are looking forward to returning there.

The second half of the season is one great event to the next with Watkins Glen International on the Six Hours of The Glen weekend, June 25-27. VIRginia International Raceway will be our penultimate event on the weekend of August 21-23. Few venues have the mix of such a challenging track and beautiful surroundings as VIR.

And, if you want big stages, we have Circuit of The Americas (COTA), where we will again run with the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In fact, we will crown our champions at WEC’s only stop in the United States, September 4-6, 2026.

While we still have an intense season of Ford Mustang Dark Horse racing yet to come in 2025, with a calendar like this, it is easy to get excited for the 2026 Mustang Challenge North America season. We already have teams lining up for their shot at winning the championship and more reaching out each day. I know that everyone reading this will want to join the grid or be part of the action from the other side of the fence in our third season. Learn more by visiting us at FordPerformance.com.

Mustang Challenge North America

Mustang Challenge North America is open to drivers who hold up to an FIA silver rating and features two classes: Dark Horse and Dark Horse Legends. All drivers can compete in the Dark Horse class while the Legends class is an optional categorization for any bronze-level driver who is 45 years old and over.

Each Mustang Challenge race weekend features two 30-minute practice sessions, one 15-minute qualifying session, and two 45-minute sprint races. Each driver competes behind the wheel of a Mustang Dark Horse R, a car similar to the production Mustang Dark Horse but with minor modifications to make it race-ready. With 500+ horsepower from the 5.0-liter V8 linked to a manual transmission and channeled to the ground through the rear wheels, the Dark Horse R is the perfect launching point to train drivers in the art of auto racing.

Chris Ward is Ford Performance Global One Make Series manager.