MUSTANG LAUNCH SCHEDULE SET

Ford to unveil the first undisguised Mustang Supercar as soon as next week – Photo: Supplied

FORD AUSTRALIA will unveil the first undisguised Mustang Supercar as soon as next week.

By MARK FOGARTY

A Ford Performance-liveried Mustang racer is to be revealed ahead of the Blue Oval teams unmasking their cars in racing warpaint.

Broadmeadows’ launch of the first two-door coupe in Supercars could be late next week or early in the first week of February.

According to AUTO ACTION sources, Ford Australia will lead the way in showing an uncamouflaged version of the Mustang-look Supercars racer.

The Mustang marks the limited return of Broadmeadows to Supercars and the first time the iconic two-door coupe has competed in Australian touring car racing since 1986.

Mustangs dominated the pre-Supercars Australian Touring Car Championship from 1965-69 and remained a powerful force until 1972, with Dick Johnson bringing it back in ‘85/86 at the start of the Group A era before switching to Ford Sierra RS Cosworths from 1987-1992.

DJR Team Penske has confirmed it will reveal its Mustang in Shell V-Power Racing Team colours in Melbourne on February 11.

DJRTP’s media invitation to the launch was accompanied by a side-profile silhouette of the Mustang racer, shown here, accentuating its huge rear wing, bulbous roofline and low snout.

Ford team insiders are adamant that the Mustang’s awkward shape, dictated by the height and shape of the standard Supercars chassis’s roll cage, looks much better in race liveries than the corporate camouflaged prototype shown late last year.

Tickford Racing will unveil Chaz Mostert’s Supercheap Autos Mustang and Lee Holdsworth’s sister The Bottle-O car before Supercars’ season launch in Melbourne on February 13.

The Tickford-run Red23 Racing entry will be revealed in its Milwaukee Racing livery around the same time.

Although Phil Munday’s Mustang for Will Davison is not receiving any official backing from Ford Australia, the customer car team is adhering to the company’s control of the launch schedule.

Cam Waters’ Mustang will be unveiled in its Monster Energy livery on the eve of the season-opening March 1-3 Adelaide 500, although AA understands it will replicate the look of his black Falcon FG X of the past two years.

AA has learned that Ford Australia has already conducted a photography session in Queensland with DJRTP’s spare Mustang racer – a rebodied FG X – in Ford Performance livery.

As revealed previously by AA, the Ford Performance-liveried car will be on display at the Adelaide 500 as part of Ford Oz’s promotional push at the Mustang’s racing debut.

Ford Australia has grouped the Mustang, Ranger Raptor and coming new Fiesta ST under its new Ford Performance banner, which is company’s worldwide brand for racing and high-performance road cars.

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