For Ford Racing, 2026 is full-throttle. In the first two months of the year, we’ve already competed in world-renowned events like Dakar, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the Daytona 500.
In March, our schedule is action-packed. Because all three of our Mustang One-Make series begin this month.
First, the Mustang Cup USA season kicks off with the series making its track debut at the iconic Sebring International Raceway March 6-8.
Mustang Cup USA is going to be something to behold in its second season. In addition to racing at three new venues, the series has also introduced a new class for 2026: Mustang Cup Classic. This class celebrates the recent history of Mustangs by allowing certain models to compete alongside the current generation of Mustang Dark Horse R race cars.
The start of the Mustang Challenge season comes next, and it also begins at Sebring International Raceway. The series will race as part of the Sebring 12 Hour weekend March 18-20.
Entering its third year, Mustang Challenge has solidified itself as one of North America’s premier single make series, and this season promises to be just as — if not even more — exciting than the last. The series will race as a part of five IMSA event weekends and will close out its season by racing as part of the World Endurance Championship’s Lone Star Le Mans weekend, so fans will have plenty of opportunities to witness the impressive horsepower of the Mustang Dark Horse R in person.
Last, but certainly not least, Mustang Cup Australia launches its inaugural season March 27-29 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. The newest addition to the Mustang one-make family, Mustang Cup Australia marks the official global expansion of Ford Racing’s one-make efforts.
Mustang Cup Australia will race at six of the country’s most iconic tracks as part of the Shannon SpeedSeries event weekends. With the addition of Mustang Cup Australia, we expand the base of our Ford Racing pyramid, making it easier for aspiring race car drivers to get their start. It also allows us to find new talent from all over the world.
With each series having six rounds in 2026, the Mustang Dark Horse R will be racing 18 event weekends at 15 different circuits throughout the year.
2026 promises to be the biggest and best year yet for Mustang one-make racing, and it all kicks off in March.
Chris Ward is global customer racing manager for Ford Racing.
