DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ford Performance officially unveiled its next-generation NASCAR Cup Series Mustang on Veterans Day, introducing a race car the manufacturer believes will extend one of the most successful periods in its modern stock-car racing history.

Revealed at the American Motorsports Hall of Fame as part of Ford’s inaugural Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic, the 2027 Ford Mustang becomes the latest competition model in a global Mustang racing program that now competes in 29 racing series across 17 countries and five continents.

The new NASCAR Cup Series entry draws heavily from the production Mustang Dark Horse SC, Ford’s most powerful Dark Horse variant to date. Powered by a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine producing up to 795 horsepower and 660 lb.-ft. of torque, the street car provided key styling and aerodynamic inspiration for its racing counterpart.

Ford Racing Global Director Mark Rushbrook said engineers and designers worked closely to transfer elements from the production vehicle into the NASCAR platform.

“When we introduced the Mustang Dark Horse SC in January and announced it was coming to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, we had no time to waste,” Rushbrook said. “Racing makes our road cars better, and our road cars make our race cars better.”

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Among the most noticeable changes is an aggressive front-end design intended to improve aerodynamic performance. While the production model uses the design for enhanced cooling, Ford says the race car version leverages the shape to generate additional downforce.

The unveiling marks the next chapter for a NASCAR program that has enjoyed significant success since Mustang replaced the Fusion as Ford’s Cup Series entry in 2019.

Since then, Ford drivers have captured three Cup Series championships, with Joey Logano winning titles in 2022 and 2024 and Ryan Blaney adding a championship in 2023. During that span, Mustang-powered teams accumulated 80 Cup Series victories, including multiple wins in crown-jewel events such as the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400.

Logano, a longtime Ford driver and three-time Cup Series champion, believes the latest version maintains the styling that has made the Mustang a fan favorite while improving its on-track potential.

“I’ve said this ever since Ford brought Mustang into the Cup Series,” Logano said. “We have the best-looking car on the track, hands down, and Ford Racing has worked to make it one of the fastest too.”

Blaney echoed that sentiment while looking ahead to the car’s competitive debut during Daytona Speedweeks.

“All of us want to be the first one to win a race in this new Mustang, and I’m no different,” Blaney said. “Ford does a great job of designing race cars that give us the best chance to win.”

That opportunity will arrive quickly. The new Mustang is scheduled to make its on-track debut during Daytona Speedweeks in February, culminating with the 69th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 21.

The launch served as the centerpiece of a Veterans Day celebration that included 12 Ford Racing drivers competing in Mustang Dark Horse R models on Daytona International Speedway’s road course. Proceeds from the event support military members, veterans and their families.