Mustang Cup North America travels to Virginia International Raceway for the final race weekend of its inaugural season, running as part of the 2025 Veterans Race of Remembrance Event. The series will crown its first champions at the 3.27-mile road course, which is known both for its beautiful scenery and its challenging nature.
The weekend will consist of two practice sessions, two qualifying sessions, and three races. The first race of the weekend will be a make up round for the Parnelli Cup race at Road America, which was rescheduled due to weather.
Will Lucas and Nick Smither Have Their Eyes on Championships
Mustang Cup has two championships, the Miles Cup and Parnelli Cup, with each championship holding one qualifying session and one race per event weekend. With two classes in each championship, there are four championships up for grabs at Virginia International Raceway. Two drivers are looking to take home all the championship honors.
Will Lucas, competing in the Dark Horse Class, leads both the Miles Cup and Parnelli Cup championship standings. Lucas has won every Mustang Cup race so far this season and is aiming to sweep the season by winning three more races this weekend.
“It’s a dream come true to be in this position heading into the final round,” Lucas said. “I’m excited to have a chance to be one of the first champions in Mustang Cup, and I’m going into the weekend with that in mind. I’m grateful to everyone who helped give me this chance and I want to make them proud.”
Nick Smither currently leads the Dark Horse Legends standings in both the Miles Cup and Parnelli Cup and is hoping to take home both championships this weekend. Smither has earned two class victories and has only finished on the podium in eight of the nine races run so far this season.
“It feels a little surreal to have a chance to win both the Miles and Parnelli Cup championships,” Smither said. “It feels like an incredible accomplishment, especially since I didn’t start racing until I was in my 60s. I’m really hoping to close out strong and bring home the championships for our small volunteer team.”
Closing Out a Successful First Season and Looking to the Second
Even in its first year, Mustang Cup North America has showcased great racing and close competition. As the 2025 season winds down, excitement is already growing for 2026, and the series will continue to develop as it heads into its second season.
“We have seen some terrific competition throughout the season in both classes and are looking forward to crowning our Dark Horse and Dark Horse Legends champions on Sunday,” Chris Ward, the global one-make series manager for Ford Racing, said. “Looking forward to 2026, we have worked with USAC, their partners and our competitors on a great calendar for the second season, and we look forward to sharing even more exciting news on the expansion of the Mustang Cup USA platform in the weeks to come.”
About Mustang Cup North America
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.
ORDER OF EVENTS
*Times EST
Friday November 7
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.: Practice 1
11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.: Road America Parnelli Cup Race
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Practice 2
4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Miles Cup Qualifying
Saturday November 8
4:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Miles Cup Race
Sunday November 9
9:25 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.: Parnelli Cup Qualifying
12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Parnelli Cup Race
