Interest Building for Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational

Photo: Wes Duenkel/Ford

Interest is building for the Mustang Challenge Le Mans Invitational according to Ford Performance global one-make series manager Chris Ward, who is expecting more than 30 Ford Mustang Dark Horse R entries for the June event at Circuit de la Sarthe.

Open to Mustang Challenge entrants and eligible drivers in the new-for-2025 Mustang Cup, the pair of non-points races will support this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, offering competitors a unique opportunity to be part of the legendary endurance event.

Ward, who joined Ford Performance last month in his new role after stints at Lamborghini and HSR, provided an update on the logistics behind for the June 11-14 event.

“We’ve narrowed down the logistics provider last week,” he told Sportscar365. “We’ll have 28 cars flying from Atlanta. That’s exciting.

“The rest of the field will go roll-on, roll-off, with the priority of the air freight being customers in North America that are racing in Mustang Challenge and/or Mustang Cup.

“We’ve got customers from Europe, customers from as far away as Australia that are looking to participate, in as we all know, one of the biggest sporting events in the world every year.

“The Le Mans 24 Hours is a bucket list item and we’ve got customers calling us going, ‘I’d love to do that, it sounds great.’

“The Ford Performance marketing team are doing a bang-up job with incredible hospitality at Maison Blanche and in the infield.

“There’s going to be some really exciting car displays and historical artifacts from Ford’s history on display.”

While not drawn on a specific number of cars that will compete, Ward said the Le Mans Invitational will be the largest field of Dark Horse Rs in its current iteration.

Mustang Challenge kicks off its second season this week at Sebring International Raceway.

“We’re one season old,” said Ward. “This is Season 2 for us and have had North American eyeballs in the IMSA paddock on the championship and now this puts us on the global stage.

“It gives customers from all over the world that are Ford Performance fans, the opportunity to come and run the car at Le Mans.”

The Le Mans Invitational could serve as a precursor to new one-make series on other continents beyond North America, although Ward stressed that it’s still a work-in-progress.

“It’s something we’re definitely looking at because we do have Mustang fans all over the world,” he said. “It’s definitely something we’re investigating.”

When asked if a new Mustang Challenge or Cup could launch by as early as 2026, Ward said: “It’s too early to tell but it’s something the entire Ford Performance family are looking at and are working on hard.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John