Mustang Cup Australia travels to Shell V-Power Motorsports Park at Tailem Bend in South Australia, May 8 - 10. The track, popularly known as “The Bend”, will host the second weekend of the inaugural season for the Ford Racing one-make series.
A dozen Mustang Dark Horse R race cars are entered to take on the 3.08-mile (4.95-km), 18-turn circuit. Among them are Keith Kassulke, who currently leads the Dark Horse Legends championship, and Joe Fawcett, who was the highest Dark Horse Juniors finisher in both races at Phillip Island.
In the first-ever Mustang Cup Australia race at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (March 27 - 29), Aaron Cameron claimed victory in a photo-finish, taking the checkered flag just 0.006 seconds ahead of his teammate James Golding. In the weekend’s second race, Ford Racing Driver Development member Cameron McLeod earned the win after taking the lead early in the race. In the Dark Horse Legends class, an optional classification for drivers 40 years of age and older, Keith Kassulke was the top finisher in both races.
About Mustang Cup Australia
The Mustang Cup Australia category offers all competitors the chance to race in equal machinery, compete at some of the country’s best race tracks, all while racing for incredible prizes and opportunities within the Ford family.
Acting as the introductory point in the Ford Racing pyramid, Mustang Cup is designed to be the first step for a young driver’s racing journey that could lead to a career in Australia’s home-grown Supercars Championship, or reach the heights of the blue oval’s new Hypercar program.
The senior stars are also catered for, with significant prizes and opportunities available.
The inaugural 2026 season will be contested over six rounds, featuring on the Shannons SpeedSeries alongside categories Australia’s best sportscar classes including GT World Challenge Australia and Monochrome GT4 Australia.
Each race weekend will feature a pair of practice sessions, two separate qualifying sessions and dual 40-minute races. The Ambrose and Johnson Cups run during different times over the weekend. This allows two racers to share one car, splitting the cost, track time and fun of a race weekend without sacrificing championship points.
ORDER OF EVENTS *Times ACST
Friday, May 8
12:00 p.m. – 12:20 p.m.: Practice 1
3:20 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.: Practice 2
Saturday, May 9
9:05 a.m. – 9:25 a.m.: Johnson Cup Qualifying
12:00 p.m. – 12:40 p.m.: Johnson Cup Race
Sunday, May 10
8:45 a.m. – 9:05 a.m.: Ambrose Cup Qualifying
12:55 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.: Ambrose Cup Race
MUSTANG CUP AUSTRALIA SEASON CALENDAR
- MARCH 27 - 29: PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT
- MAY 8 - 10: SHELL V-POWER MOTORSPORTS PARK
- JUNE 12 - 14: QUEENSLAND RACEWAY
- JULY 24 - 26: HIDDEN VALLEY RACEWAY
- SEPTEMBER 18 - 20: SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK
- OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMER 1: SANDOWN RACEWAY
Mustang Cup USA heads to the Lone Star State for the third weekend of its 2026 race season. This will be the series’ second time at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), and will mark the fourth time the Mustang Dark Horse R has raced on the 3.41-mile, 20-turn Formula 1 circuit.
In the first two weekends of the season, rookie Logan Adams has found success in the Dark Horse class, winning three of the first four races. He has yet to finish off the podium and currently leads both the Miles Cup and Parnelli Cup championships. In Dark Horse Legends, Craig Capaldi won both races at Barber Motorsports Park and put himself in the lead of the Miles Cup and Parnelli Cup championship standings.
ORDER OF EVENTS *Times CDT
Thursday, May 7
9:40 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.: Practice 1
1:55 p.m. – 2:25 p.m.: Practice 2
Friday, May 8
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: Practice 3
11:35 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.: Miles Cup Qualifying
3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: Miles Cup Race
Saturday, May 9
9:40 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.: Parnelli Cup Qualifying
3:10 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.: Parnelli Cup Race
MUSTANG CUP USA 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
