The week that Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn unveiled its new Mustang Dark Horse for the 2024 NASCAR Cup season, the automaker swept all three NASCAR championship races at Phoenix International Raceway, culminating in Team Penske’s second consecutive Cup championship.
Team Penske is owned by local businessman Roger Penske, who also owns the Bloomfield Township-based Penske Automotive Group and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Before Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney drove his Mustang to a second-place finish — outpacing the other three championship contenders — in Sunday’s race, Ford-powered vehicles raced to championships in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The championship competition was preceded by Ford’s announcement that it would field a new Cup car, based on the Mustang Dark Horse, next season. It will debut in the Feb. 4, 2024 Clash at the Coliseum exhibition race inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“What a crazy year it has been revealing our new global Mustangs for racing,” says Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “The positive response from our fans around the world has been amazing, and we’re confident that this Mustang Dark Horse Cup car will be no different and that NASCAR fans will be excited to cheer us on next year.
“Our Ford Performance staff, together with our NASCAR race teams, have worked tirelessly in the wind tunnel developing this car, and I can’t wait to finally see it race on the track next season.”
Ford unveiled the all-new Mustang Dark Horse just over a year ago, marking the first new performance nameplate for Mustang since 2001. It is the most track-capable 5.0-liter V8 street-legal Mustang ever and has inspired the current roster of Mustang cars that started racing this year in the Repco Supercars Championship in Australia and Formula Drift series.
In the months ahead, Mustang Dark Horse racing variants will be eligible to compete in GT3 and GT4 classes globally and in addition, Dark Horse R will compete in the Mustang Challenge Series and many grassroots racing events.
“If she gallops as fast as she looks, it’s going to be a good year,” says Brad Keselowski, driver and co-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing after seeing the new NASCAR Cup model. “Mustang is an iconic American car made famous around the world. I think of how Mustang has evolved over the years and how NASCAR has evolved along with it and they’re just two brands that go together. I’m proud to get to drive it and proud to be able to compete for the win in this car.”
Mustang has been a fixture in NASCAR since coming to the Xfinity Series full-time in 2011 and immediately produced consecutive championships. Overall, Mustang has won a driver’s or owner’s championship in nine of 12 seasons in that series and captured manufacturer’s titles in 2011 and 2013.
“We’re excited to debut this new Mustang Dark Horse next year,” says new NASCAR Cup Champion Blaney. “I’m really pumped because Ford did an amazing job with it. I can’t wait for this to debut and drive it next year at the Coliseum and, hopefully, I can be the one to get the first win. That would be a cool accomplishment.”
