WHAT’S HAPPENING – With the anniversary of the Ford Mustang’s April 17, 1964, debut at the New York World’s Fair fast approaching, Mustang fans the world over will be excited to know that a soon-to-be-released hardcover Mustang book captures not just the car’s history, but the deeper reasons it has endured. Publishing on April 28, 2026, by Motorbooks, MUSTANG UNBRIDLED: The High-Octane History of Ford’s Legendary Pony Car by Robert M. Kennedy is the first comprehensive, narrative-driven history of the Mustang – from its pre-1964 origins to today’s Dark Horse and GTD.
Kennedy traces the Mustang’s evolution across every generation, unpacking the internal battles, engineering breakthroughs, competition milestones, and marketing strategies that shaped the car’s identity. But he also tackles the bigger question: why the Mustang has survived when so many performance nameplates have disappeared. Drawing on six decades of context, he argues that the Mustang’s staying power comes from a consistent formula – compact, attainable coupes and convertibles; mid-level models that balance luxury and performance; premium variants that deliver exotic capability at real-world prices; and a proudly American spirit that has never wavered, even as the market shifts toward electrification.
Featuring Henry Ford II, Lee Iacocca, Don Frey, Carroll Shelby, Jack Roush, Steve Saleen, Vaughn Gittin Jr., and with a Foreword by fellow Mustang author John M. Clor, Mustang Unbridled delivers the depth and detail enthusiasts crave across its 328 pages, including the 1962 prototype, the 1964½ launch models, the Boss and Shelby eras, the Mustang II and Fox-body years, and the modern performance renaissance. The good news is that Mustang fans don’t have to wait until National Mustang Day to get their copy of Mustang Unbridled because it’s available to pre-order right now for the retail price of $32 (plus shipping) by visiting: https://geni.us/MustangUnbridled. Get your copy today! (And yes, we also know about another great hardcover history that’s due out later this summer: Mike Mueller’s The Complete Book of Ford Mustang, Fifth Editon, comes out July 14, 2026. Retail price is $60; here’s a link with various retailers to pre-order that book too: https://geni.us/OC9i.
Dark Horse Sweeps Helps Pittsburgh Grand Prix & Mustang Club Charities
The Greater Pittsburgh Mustang Club (GPMC) has enjoyed a long relationship with the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP), not only to promote awareness for this great annual automotive event but also to help raise funds for the charities it supports. To that end, both the club and the PVGP have now teamed up to promote their 2026 Mustang Dark Horse Sweepstakes with a special deal for Mustang owners, club members and the entire Ford enthusiast community.
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix (PVGP) – a yearly charity event that’s donated over $7M since 1983 to the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and the Merakey Allegheny Valley School – is raffling off a 2026 Mustang Dark Horse (or $50,000 in Cash) as a primary fundraiser, but with a private code created for club members and fellow Mustang enthusiasts that offers 50 percent off of the ticket prices. With its portion of sales generated through this promotion, the GPMC will be able to donate to its own charities of choice – meaning even more great organizations can benefit while you get the chance to win a great car in the process!
There’s no better feeling than supporting a great cause – but adding in the opportunity to win a 2026 Mustang Dark Horse makes this one sweepstakes that you simply have to enter! Just visit https://pvgp.org/2026-dark-horse-mustang-giveaway/?promo=GPMC50 and use the club’s private code, GPMC50, and you’ll automatically receive 50% more tickets with your entry! (Or you can aim your cell phone camera at the Private QR code in the lower right corner of the attached image and click on the link that pops up. You can always visit the site to learn more about the Dark Horse that’s up for grabs at: https://pvgp.org/2026-dark-horse-mustang-giveaway/?promo=GPMC50 to or to enter as often as you like. Here’s hoping you take home this beautiful ride!
50th Anniversary Event Tops MCA’s 2026 National Show Schedule
The great thing about owning a performance Ford is that, when you buy a Ford, you buy into an entire enthusiast world! Ford cars and trucks have the kind of personality and style that forge a personal connection with their owners, who in turn celebrate ownership each year at hundreds of enthusiast events all over the country. Nearly every Ford ever produced has an enthusiast following, and the largest of all – likely no surprise here – is the Mustang. The Mustang Club of America has regional clubs who host annual shows all over the country, but only a handful of those yearly events are chosen as MCA National Shows, drawing nationwide interest. The MCA has revealed its 2026 National Show Schedule, and one of them will mark a club milestone – the club’s 50th Anniversary event.
The first is the “River City Mustang Stampede” to be held March 27-29 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Registration is now open at mcashows.com.) Next up is the “Ponies In The Ozarks MCA National Show” staged at the Ozark International Raceway in Gravois Mills, Missouri, from May 22 to 25. It’s a three-day show with a two-day track event (Registration is open at mcashows.com and track registration is open at MotosportsReg.com.) In July there’s the “Mustangs On The Mother Road National Show,” hosted by the Green Country Classic Mustangs Regional Club July 24-26 at the Marriott Tulsa Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (More details to follow as they become available.) And the grand finale will be the “Mustang Club of America 50th Anniversary” National Show to be held August 28-30 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. It features a three-day Mustang car show and a three-day track event. (More details to follow as they become available.)
MCA shows tend to sell out fast when registration opens, so check the MCA’s web site – www.mustang.org – for updates regularly on these and all the other Mustang Club of America Regional Club shows.
Mustang Challenge North America to Visit Six Premier Tracks in 2026
With more event schedule news we get the following from Chris Ward, Ford Performance Global One Make Series Manager:
The 2026 Mustang Challenge North America schedule is one of which we can all be particularly proud. Taking a corral of Mustang Dark Horse Race cars to six race weekends at some of the top tracks in North America is going to be exciting for the drivers, teams and fans
We make every decision for Mustang Challenge North America for the best experience of our customer. The schedule is a critical first step to each season and we feel we have assembled the best blend of tracks for our drivers and teams as well as their families. The calendar has us in the paddock of premier tracks with the top sports car racing series in the world, surrounded by the Mustang GT4 and GT3 race cars many of our drivers aspire to drive.
To help achieve those goals, we will open our season in Florida the weekend of the 12 Hours of Sebring. This is the second consecutive season we have taken our first green flag at Sebring and already feels like a popular tradition. Being a part of such legendary events is one of the draws of our series. We are racing not only on the iconic tracks, but we are part of the “Big Show” when it comes to town.
For our second weekend of racing, the series will follow IMSA to Monterey, California, and the world famous “Corkscrew” at Weather Tech Raceway Laguna Seca the first weekend in May. The season midpoint, June 5–7, will come at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The picturesque track is where Mustang Challenge debuted in 2024, and our drivers are looking forward to returning there. The second half of the season is one great event to the next with Watkins Glen International on the Six Hours of The Glen weekend, June 25–27. Virginia International Raceway will be our penultimate event on the weekend of August 21–23. Few venues have the mix of such a challenging track and beautiful surroundings as VIR.
We are very excited to say we will again run with the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 2026. In fact, we will crown our champions at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA) during WEC’s only stop in the United States, the weekend of September 4–6. With a calendar like this, it is easy to get excited for the 2026 Mustang Challenge North America season.
2026 Mustang Challenge North America Calendar
March 18–20: Sebring International Raceway IMSA
May 1–3: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca IMSA
June 5-7: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course IMSA
June 25–27: Watkins Glen International IMSA
August 21–23: VIRginia International Raceway IMSA
September 4–6: Circuit of The Americas (COTA) WEC
About Mustang Challenge North America
Mustang Challenge North America is open to drivers who hold up to an FIA silver rating and features two classes—Dark Horse and Dark Horse Legends. All drivers can compete in the Dark Horse class while the Legends class is an optional categorization for any bronze-level driver who is 45 years old and over. Each Mustang Challenge race weekend features two 30-minute practice sessions, one 15-minute qualifying session, and two 45-minute sprint races. Each driver competes behind the wheel of a Mustang Dark Horse R, a car similar to the production Mustang Dark Horse but with minor modifications to make it race ready. With 500+ horsepower from the 5.0-liter V8 linked to a manual transmission and channeled to the ground through the rear wheels, the Dark Horse R is the perfect launching point to train drivers in the art of auto racing.
Get Your Weekly Mustang Fix: Check out the ‘Mustang Owner’s Podcast’ on YouTube or Spotify!
There’s no waiting to hear about all that’s going on in the Mustang world just because it’s still wintertime. You can always check in on the latest happenings in the Mustang hobby every week by subscribing to the Mustang Owner’s Podcast on YouTube or Spotify. Your hosts John Clor and Mike Rey bring you an insider’s look at all the coolest Cars, Clubs, Collectors, Celebrities and even the Characters – plus Event and Historical insight you simply won’t hear anywhere else. As John and Mike always say, “Everyone Has a Mustang Story,” so you never know what this top-rated Mustang podcast will be covering next until you catch each new episode that’s posted every Monday. (See: https://www.youtube.com/@mustangownerspodcast) With more than 200 episodes to enjoy, a look through the duo’s extensive playlist will keep you coming back for more!
