As part of the festivities leading up to the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic event, Ford unveiled the new Ford Racing Mustang that will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2027.
Ford’s newest NASCAR contender is based on a vehicle customers can actually buy: the 795-horsepower Mustang Dark Horse SC.
“When we introduced the Mustang Dark Horse SC in January and announced it was coming to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, we had no time to waste,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Racing.
“Racing makes our road cars better, and our road cars make our race cars better. We put that philosophy to work here, incorporating key elements from the Dark Horse SC into the new Mustang race car to help make it even more competitive every week.”
Chief among that is an aggressive-looking nose that has been designed to optimize aerodynamics. In the road car, that comes in the form of increased cooling while in the race car it creates more downforce.
The Ford Mustang will make its competitive debut during Daytona Speedweeks, culminating with the 69th annual running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 21.
The unveiling of the new Cup car marked the first event of a day that is being highlighted by the inaugural Ford Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic at Daytona International Speedway. A total of 12 Ford Racing drivers will be competing on the road course in Ford Mustang Dark Horse Rs with all six military branches being divided into teams of two. Proceeds from the event will go to support military members, veterans and their families.
The Classic will air live from 8 to 10 p.m. ET on USA Network and stream on Fandango's free streaming platform. The entertainment segments will also air live on E! and will stream on TikTok at @e_entertainment, @usanetwork, and @usasports.
