Mustang Cup USA travels to Sebring International Raceway for the first race weekend of the 2026 season. The series will be making its track debut at the iconic 3.74-mile road course, and the event will be one of three Mustang Cup USA events open to the public this season.
New to Mustang Cup USA in 2026 is the Mustang Cup Classic class. This class celebrates the recent racing history of the Ford Mustang by allowing select Mustang models from the 2000s to compete alongside the current generation of Mustang Dark Horse R cars.
As the spirit of America, the Ford Mustang is the world’s best selling sports car and one of the planet’s most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke regional one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 38 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines.
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THE SCHEDULE
*Times ET
Friday, March 6
- 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: Practice 1
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Practice 2
- 2:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.: Practice 3
Saturday, March 7
- 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.: Miles Cup Qualifying
- 1:25 p.m. – 2:10 p.m.: Miles Cup Race
Sunday, March 8
- 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.: Parnelli Cup Qualifying
- 1:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.: Parnelli Cup Race
About Mustang Cup
Mustang Cup is designed to provide drivers who are just launching their careers the first steps into motorsports. Like its next level counterpart, Mustang Challenge, the entry-level series features a fleet of Mustang Dark Horse R race cars at tracks around North America.
Both series are key stops along the Ford Racing Pyramid, which guides drivers across a
planned route from novice to professional, all on the Ford Mustang race platform—from the Dark Horse R to the Ford Mustang GT4, up to the ultimate Mustang race car, the GT3.
Sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC), the championship spans six race weekends and features two classes: the Miles Cup—named for Ken Miles—and the Parnelli Cup —named for the legendary racer Parnelli Jones. Each event stop will have up to three practice sessions, two qualifying sessions, and two feature races.
The Ford Mustang Dark Horse R competes on Yokohama race tires in the Mustang Cup.
Season Calendar
- MARCH 6 - 8: SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
- MARCH 27 - 29: BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
- MAY 7 - 9: CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
- JUNE 19 - 21: VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
- AUGUST 14 - 16: ROAD AMERICA
- SEPTEMBER 11 - 13: ROAD ATLANTA
Ford Mustang Dark Horse R
The Mustang® Dark Horse™ R race car features a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 engine, borrowed from the 2025 Mustang Dark Horse coupe. It’s combined with track-focused upgrades — including the following — for a more hard-core, pedal-to-the-metal performance:
- Borla® Racing Exhaust System
- RECARO® FIA racing seat
- Brembo™ Front and Rear Brake Package
- New GT4 Rear Camber Arms
