Six-round Ford Mustang Cup coming down under
The first-ever Ford Performance Mustang Cup on Australian soil will be run across six rounds on the SRO SpeedSeries.
The new one-make championship of Mustang Dark Horse R’s has been ratified by Motorsport Australia and the Australian Motor Racing Commission and will be managed by Driving Solutions led by Liam Curkpatrick.
Having long been in the making after Ford officials brought the Dark Horse R to the Phillip Island SpeedSeries meeting, where George Miedecke cut some laps.
It became official at the special setting of Spa-Francorchamps as part of the global SRO Motorsports Group calendar.
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse R at Queensland Raceway. Image: Ford
The Ford Performance Mustang Cup recently took centre stage at the Le Mans 24 Hours where Australia’s Cameron McLeod dominated a worldwide field of 40 cars.
Next year the one-make V8 series will offer a unique and new addition to the Australian racing scene for drivers of all experience levels.
“The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance.
“Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic.
“The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car, and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem.”
Australia’s Cameron McLeod celebrates victory at Le Mans. Image: Ford
Ford Australia CEO and President Andrew Birkic believes it will resonate with Australian fans.
“Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market,” he said.
“This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang’s legendary racing heritage down under.
“We can’t wait for 2026 to see these incredible cars battling it out on tracks all over Australia.”
By being a staple of the SpeedSeries, the championship will get exposure on free-to-air TV alongside the likes of GT World Challenge.
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse R has been tested at Queensland Raceway. Image: Mark Horsburgh
“We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Ford Performance to bring Mustang Cup Australia to life,” said James Stewart, Director of Driving Solutions.
“The Mustang Dark Horse R is a spectacular race car, and we believe a one-make series featuring this machine will be a huge drawcard for Australian drivers and fans.
“Our aim is to build a professional, competitive, and accessible series that provides a fantastic opportunity for young drivers to hone their skills, and for experience drivers to enjoy racing a high-performance and market-relevant race car.
“We look forward to working hard to make this series a roaring success.”
Any team or driver who would like to express interest in entering the series for 2026 can do so at this link: Mustang Cup Australia 2026 – Expression of Interest.
