When revealing the seventh-generation Mustang last year, Ford announced several racing variants, most of have which debuted.
We’ve already seen the Mustang GT3, Mustang GT4, Mustang GT Supercar, and Mustang Dark Horse R. That last one represents a new category of race car designed for Ford’s own Mustang Challenge one-make series.
Ford has now revealed its race car for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series, and it features a design borrowed from the road-going Mustang Dark Horse. There isn’t much commonality beyond the basic design, although the two cars both feature V-8 engines and rear-wheel drive. The lines of the street car and race car are different because the race cars have to match a template created by NASCAR.
The Mustang Dark Horse NASCAR race car is based on NASCAR’s Next Gen design introduced for the 2022 season. The design currently relies on a 5.9-liter V-8 paired to a 5-speed sequential transmission, with drive sent to the rear wheels. The chassis features a steel space-frame design that is common to all cars.
2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023
In addition to the Ford, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series will also include cars sharing the design of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Toyota Camry.
The Mustang Dark Horse NASCAR race car will make its track debut on Feb. 4, 2024, during the Clash at the Coliseum exhibition race inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
It won’t be the first appearance of a Mustang in a NASCAR race car. The Mustang has been a fixture in NASCAR since coming to the Xfinity Series full-time in 2011. It joined the premier Cup Series in 2019.