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Ford to Launch Single-Make Mustang Series

New series featuring Ford Mustang Dark Horse R under development…

Image: Ford

Ford Performance will launch a single-make series with the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse R, which could debut as early as next year.

Teased during the reveal of the seventh-generation Mustang last September, Ford Performance global motorsports director Mark Rushbrook confirmed to Sportscar365 that a new Mustang-only race series in under development.

“There will be a spec series,” Rushbrook said. “We’re not sharing anything more than that yet.”

While unconfirmed, Sportscar365 believes that the yet-to-be-named series could be sanctioned by IMSA, with further details to be released in the coming months.

Rushbrook, however, indicated that the 500-plus horsepower track-only Dark Horse R will serve as the race platform for the series.

“The Dark Horse, as a street Mustang, is obviously a very capable car, the most track-capable car we’ve put out there,” he said.

“We take that to a Dark Horse S to make it a non-street legal, dedicated track car, and the Dark Horse R basically takes a Dark Horse S and puts a few race-specific things like taking out the stock fuel tank and putting in a racing cell and stuff like that.

“Those cars will be available for sale later in the year.

“We’ll probably build more Rs than Ss at first. While we want to get them out everywhere, including racing and track days, we’re going to prioritize on getting them out racing.”

Rushbrook said the Dark Horse R’s performance will be “a little bit” slower than the new Mustang GT4, which is set to debut in the hands of customer teams next year.

“A Dark Horse is around 500 horsepower as a street car,” he said.

“When you take that to a race car, it will still be around 500 horsepower, a little bit more. The BoP levels in GT4 are around 500 horsepower.

“It will have similar power to a GT4 car. It will be slightly heavier and it will have slightly less aero. But it’s still going to be a quick car.”

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

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