Mustang Cup Format Change ‘Under Investigation’ for 2027

Photo: Ford Racing

Ford Racing is looking at a possible format change to Mustang Cup USA next year that could result in additional races over an event but each at shorter lengths according to the manufacturer’s global customer racing manager Chris Ward.

The second season of the USAC-sanctioned single-make series, featuring the Ford Mustang Dark Horse R, has delivered increased grids, although has yet to see the new Mustang Cup Classic class, fully materialize.

Paolo Salvatore brought his Ford Mustang FP350S out to the season opener at Sebring International Raceway (pictured above), while Charlie Bosselman made starts at Circuit of The Americas and Virginia International Raceway with his Ford Mustang Boss 302S.

A total of five former Mustang road racing models are eligible for the class: the 2005-2010 FR500C, the 2008 FR500S, the 2011-2014 Boss 302R, the 2012-2014 Boss 302S and the 2017 FP350S, all of which have found success in series such as Grand-Am Cup, Pirelli World Challenge and SCCA Touring championships.

“We’re quite pleased with the growth in Cup this year,” Ward told Sportscar365. “Last year, in its first year, we weren’t that pleased with it.

“But like any new category or new championship, you’ve got to start. We had eight to ten cars a weekend.

“This year we’ve had 13-14, sometimes 15 cars. It’s showing good growth and good potential.

“Where we have been disappointed, candidly, is with the announcement we made at the end of the last year with Mustang Cup Classic, we haven’t yet been able to attract those competitors with the old Mustang race cars that we wanted to bring into the category.

“We’re looking at the format for Mustang Cup.

“One of the things we discovered throughout the season is that the [Classic] cars can’t do 40 minute plus a lap races because of the size of their fuel tanks. It’s not something that we had realized.

“Speaking to some of those competitors, we really want to have the product tailored so they can show up.

“How great would it be if we had 15 Dark Horse Rs and ten or 12 Classics. We would then have a real celebration of the Ford Mustang.”

Ward indicated that the current two-race per weekend format, split between the Miles and Parnelli Cups, could be doubled, although with each race being reduced to 30 minutes in length in order to ensure the Mustang Cup Classic class can go the distance on a single tank of fuel.

“What we’re investigating, more likely, would be to shorten the races but have more races during a weekend,” he said.

“Could we expand from two races a weekend to four and do four 30-minute races instead?

“That would then ease the burden if people did want to split the car. Then Driver A could do Race 1 on Saturday and Driver B could do Race 2 on Saturday. Then you don’t have to sit out a whole day.

“It’s something we’re actively investigating with USAC. Sean [Sermini] over at USAC has done a really good job of putting a lot of effort into that category and we’re pleased with the growth.”

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