The exciting new Mustang Cup Australia has been confirmed to feature in all six rounds of the Shannons SpeedSeries next year after the provisional 2026 schedule was announced on Friday as part of SRO Motorsports Group’s global calendar announcement at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Making its Australian debut in 2026, the brand new one-make series will see competitors behind the wheel of the impressive Mustang Dark Horse R – a factory-built race car inspired by the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse coupe.
Developed by Ford Performance, the car is stacked with top spec equipment, which includes a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 engine, Borla Racing Exhaust System, RECARO FIA racing seat, and a Brembo Brake Package.
With the category being the first of Ford Performance’s international Mustang Cup expansion, the highly esteemed Driving Solutions, led by James Stewart and Jo Higson, will take on the role of category promoter.
“We are absolutely honoured to be entrusted by Ford to bring the Mustang Cup to life in Australia,” Stewart said.
“The Mustang Dark Horse R is an incredible piece of machinery – a pure-bred race car that we believe will deliver some of the most exciting and competitive racing in Australia.
“Our goal is to build a series that is not only thrilling for fans but also provides a professional, accessible, and rewarding environment for drivers. Working with a global icon like the Mustang, and integrating with the Shannons SpeedSeries, gives us a fantastic platform to achieve just that.”
Stewart, Higson and the whole Driving Solutions team will now focus on building the sporting and technical regulations for the 2026 season, while also working on bringing in new teams and drivers for the exciting category.
Upon taking on the role of series promoter, Driving Solutions has appointed experienced motorsport administrator Liam Curkpatrick as Category Manager.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team at Driving Solutions to manage the Mustang Cup,” Curkpatrick said.
“The opportunity to build a brand-new, high-profile championship from the ground up, particularly one featuring such an iconic and potent race car as the Mustang Dark Horse R, is fantastic.
“My focus will be on delivering a fair, professional, and enjoyable racing experience for all competitors, ensuring the series is well-organised and provides maximum value for everyone involved.”
Earlier this month, Australian driver Cameron McLeod got behind the wheel of the Mustang Dark Horse R at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to give Australian motorsport fans a glimpse of the series ahead of its arrival down under. The young gun put on a masterclass during the Mustang Challenge at Le Mans, which was serving as the support race in the iconic event, winning two races across the weekend.
Global Director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, was thrilled to be able to bring the Mustang Dark Horse R Cup to Australia.
“The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers,” Rushbrook said.
“Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. The success of Cameron McLeod at Le Mans showed the world what talented young drivers can do in this car, and bringing that level of competition to Australia is a vital addition to the global Mustang racing ecosystem.”
Mustang Cup Australia is one of the three categories confirmed to run in the Shannons SpeedSeries next year, with Monochrome GT4 Australia also running at every round, while GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS will headline the opening five events of the season.
More details regarding the technical regulations of the series will be announced in the coming months.
2026 Provisional Mustang Cup Australia calendar
Round 1: 27-29 March – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Victoria
Round 2: 8-10 May – Shell V-Power Motorsport Park, South Australia
Round 3: 12-14 June – Queensland Raceway, Queensland
Round 4: 24-26 July – Hidden Valley Raceway, Northern Territory
Round 5: 18-20 September – Sydney Motorsport Park, New South Wales
Round 6: 30 October -1 November – Sandown Raceway, Victoria