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Unstoppable Feeney seals 'special' Darwin clean sweep

Unstoppable Feeney seals 'special' Darwin clean sweep

The Advertiser22-06-2025
Broc Feeney's Supercars dominance reached new heights as he sealed a historic Darwin Triple Crown clean sweep and a fifth straight race win at a canter.
The championship leader could not have hoped for a better weekend.
Feeney pulled off a commanding drive from pole position to the chequered flag in the final race of the round on Sunday, after claiming both poles and races on Saturday.
Sunday's 200km sprint was his easiest win of the treble, crossing the finish line a full eight seconds ahead of runner-up Kai Allen to extend his lead on the standings to a yawning 183 points.
In doing so, Feeney became the first driver to win all three races to claim the Triple Crown.
The prize was previously only awarded to a driver who managed the rare feat of winning all the races in the round, but a format change meant it would have gone to the driver who claimed the most points, even if they didn't manage a clean sweep.
"I'm so proud. Obviously Bathurst and the championship are the main ones, but I think just how difficult this one is to win - it was right at the top of my list," Feeney said.
With nine wins from 19 races, the 22-year-old is unstoppable at the moment. Even Craig Lowndes' record eight-race winning streak could be under threat if his form holds.
Changing his car's set-up closer to the previous year's worked wonders after a slow start to the weekend in Friday practice, Feeney said.
"And it's just been a rocket ever since," he said.
"Not all the time when you have a super-fast car does everything go to plan, and we've able to do that this weekend. It's super special."
His Triple Eight teammate Will Brown had a disappointing weekend, failing to qualify in the top 10 for all three races.
Triple Eight co-owner Steve Blackmore said the team would examine what was causing his No.1 Camaro to struggle through qualifying.
"But he had a super fast race car. I'd be surprised if there was anyone on the track who actually made more overtakes over the weekend than Will," Blackmore said.
Brown recovered from 11th to finish fifth on Sunday.
The reigning champion remains second in the standings, 14 points ahead of Grove Racing's Matt Payne, who finished third.
After holding off Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq at the starting line, Feeney went about opening up a gap on the rest of the grid.
He emerged behind Payne after pitting last on lap 30, but with fresher tyres immediately sped past the Grove Racing man back to the effective lead.
Payne and his teenage teammate Allen battled it out for second spot, with the rookie making the most of his fresher tyres to overtake Payne in the closing laps.
Allen enjoyed the best weekend of his young Supercars career, securing his second podium to improve on a maiden third-place finish on Saturday.
Le Brocq's fourth-place finish was his equal best of the season.
Erebus has struggled since the departure of Brodie Kostecki to Dick Johnson Racing, but jumped off the bottom of the team standings with the result.
Despite qualifying ninth, championship contender Chaz Mostert was forced to start from pit lane in 24th position after stalling on the starting grid with clutch issues. He eventually recovered to finish 12th.
Another big name to suffer calamity on Sunday was Cam Waters, who lost a tyre with three laps to go and limped home on three legs in last place.
Jaxon Evans was ruled out of Sunday's action after his Brad Jones Racing Camaro suffered heavy damage in a crash on the first lap of Saturday's opening race.
RACE 19 RESULTS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing)
3. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
4. Jack Le Brocq (Erebus Motorsport)
5. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)
2. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
3. Matt Payne (Grove)
4. Cam Waters (Tickford)
5. Chaz Mostert (WAU)
Broc Feeney's Supercars dominance reached new heights as he sealed a historic Darwin Triple Crown clean sweep and a fifth straight race win at a canter.
The championship leader could not have hoped for a better weekend.
Feeney pulled off a commanding drive from pole position to the chequered flag in the final race of the round on Sunday, after claiming both poles and races on Saturday.
Sunday's 200km sprint was his easiest win of the treble, crossing the finish line a full eight seconds ahead of runner-up Kai Allen to extend his lead on the standings to a yawning 183 points.
In doing so, Feeney became the first driver to win all three races to claim the Triple Crown.
The prize was previously only awarded to a driver who managed the rare feat of winning all the races in the round, but a format change meant it would have gone to the driver who claimed the most points, even if they didn't manage a clean sweep.
"I'm so proud. Obviously Bathurst and the championship are the main ones, but I think just how difficult this one is to win - it was right at the top of my list," Feeney said.
With nine wins from 19 races, the 22-year-old is unstoppable at the moment. Even Craig Lowndes' record eight-race winning streak could be under threat if his form holds.
Changing his car's set-up closer to the previous year's worked wonders after a slow start to the weekend in Friday practice, Feeney said.
"And it's just been a rocket ever since," he said.
"Not all the time when you have a super-fast car does everything go to plan, and we've able to do that this weekend. It's super special."
His Triple Eight teammate Will Brown had a disappointing weekend, failing to qualify in the top 10 for all three races.
Triple Eight co-owner Steve Blackmore said the team would examine what was causing his No.1 Camaro to struggle through qualifying.
"But he had a super fast race car. I'd be surprised if there was anyone on the track who actually made more overtakes over the weekend than Will," Blackmore said.
Brown recovered from 11th to finish fifth on Sunday.
The reigning champion remains second in the standings, 14 points ahead of Grove Racing's Matt Payne, who finished third.
After holding off Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq at the starting line, Feeney went about opening up a gap on the rest of the grid.
He emerged behind Payne after pitting last on lap 30, but with fresher tyres immediately sped past the Grove Racing man back to the effective lead.
Payne and his teenage teammate Allen battled it out for second spot, with the rookie making the most of his fresher tyres to overtake Payne in the closing laps.
Allen enjoyed the best weekend of his young Supercars career, securing his second podium to improve on a maiden third-place finish on Saturday.
Le Brocq's fourth-place finish was his equal best of the season.
Erebus has struggled since the departure of Brodie Kostecki to Dick Johnson Racing, but jumped off the bottom of the team standings with the result.
Despite qualifying ninth, championship contender Chaz Mostert was forced to start from pit lane in 24th position after stalling on the starting grid with clutch issues. He eventually recovered to finish 12th.
Another big name to suffer calamity on Sunday was Cam Waters, who lost a tyre with three laps to go and limped home on three legs in last place.
Jaxon Evans was ruled out of Sunday's action after his Brad Jones Racing Camaro suffered heavy damage in a crash on the first lap of Saturday's opening race.
RACE 19 RESULTS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing)
3. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
4. Jack Le Brocq (Erebus Motorsport)
5. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)
2. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
3. Matt Payne (Grove)
4. Cam Waters (Tickford)
5. Chaz Mostert (WAU)
Broc Feeney's Supercars dominance reached new heights as he sealed a historic Darwin Triple Crown clean sweep and a fifth straight race win at a canter.
The championship leader could not have hoped for a better weekend.
Feeney pulled off a commanding drive from pole position to the chequered flag in the final race of the round on Sunday, after claiming both poles and races on Saturday.
Sunday's 200km sprint was his easiest win of the treble, crossing the finish line a full eight seconds ahead of runner-up Kai Allen to extend his lead on the standings to a yawning 183 points.
In doing so, Feeney became the first driver to win all three races to claim the Triple Crown.
The prize was previously only awarded to a driver who managed the rare feat of winning all the races in the round, but a format change meant it would have gone to the driver who claimed the most points, even if they didn't manage a clean sweep.
"I'm so proud. Obviously Bathurst and the championship are the main ones, but I think just how difficult this one is to win - it was right at the top of my list," Feeney said.
With nine wins from 19 races, the 22-year-old is unstoppable at the moment. Even Craig Lowndes' record eight-race winning streak could be under threat if his form holds.
Changing his car's set-up closer to the previous year's worked wonders after a slow start to the weekend in Friday practice, Feeney said.
"And it's just been a rocket ever since," he said.
"Not all the time when you have a super-fast car does everything go to plan, and we've able to do that this weekend. It's super special."
His Triple Eight teammate Will Brown had a disappointing weekend, failing to qualify in the top 10 for all three races.
Triple Eight co-owner Steve Blackmore said the team would examine what was causing his No.1 Camaro to struggle through qualifying.
"But he had a super fast race car. I'd be surprised if there was anyone on the track who actually made more overtakes over the weekend than Will," Blackmore said.
Brown recovered from 11th to finish fifth on Sunday.
The reigning champion remains second in the standings, 14 points ahead of Grove Racing's Matt Payne, who finished third.
After holding off Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq at the starting line, Feeney went about opening up a gap on the rest of the grid.
He emerged behind Payne after pitting last on lap 30, but with fresher tyres immediately sped past the Grove Racing man back to the effective lead.
Payne and his teenage teammate Allen battled it out for second spot, with the rookie making the most of his fresher tyres to overtake Payne in the closing laps.
Allen enjoyed the best weekend of his young Supercars career, securing his second podium to improve on a maiden third-place finish on Saturday.
Le Brocq's fourth-place finish was his equal best of the season.
Erebus has struggled since the departure of Brodie Kostecki to Dick Johnson Racing, but jumped off the bottom of the team standings with the result.
Despite qualifying ninth, championship contender Chaz Mostert was forced to start from pit lane in 24th position after stalling on the starting grid with clutch issues. He eventually recovered to finish 12th.
Another big name to suffer calamity on Sunday was Cam Waters, who lost a tyre with three laps to go and limped home on three legs in last place.
Jaxon Evans was ruled out of Sunday's action after his Brad Jones Racing Camaro suffered heavy damage in a crash on the first lap of Saturday's opening race.
RACE 19 RESULTS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight Race Engineering)
2. Kai Allen (Grove Racing)
3. Matt Payne (Grove Racing)
4. Jack Le Brocq (Erebus Motorsport)
5. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS:
1. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight)
2. Will Brown (Triple Eight)
3. Matt Payne (Grove)
4. Cam Waters (Tickford)
5. Chaz Mostert (WAU)
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2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia
2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia

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2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia

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The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "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," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from: Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "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," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from: Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "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," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from: Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. "Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market," said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. "This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. "The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers," said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. "Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. "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," he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang Content originally sourced from:

2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia
2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia

Perth Now

time4 days ago

  • Perth Now

2026 Ford Mustang Cup racing series set for Australia

Ford has announced the Ford Mustang Cup will take place as a national series in Australia across six rounds in 2026 – a breeding ground for future talent – and is seeking expressions of interest from would-be competitors. Using the formidable Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing model, a field of around 20-25 competitors is expected in the first expansion of the series beyond the United States, where it kicked off in 2024. 'Mustang holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market,' said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO, in a statement. 'This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under.' Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The Dark Horse R takes the Mustang Dark Horse road car a step further by adding 18-inch forged alloy wheels with slick racing tyres, bigger Brembo brakes and a larger exhaust from renowned specialist Borla. There's no additional power from the 5.0-litre V8 – making a claimed 'more than 500 horsepower (373kW)' – which is teamed with a Tremec 3160 six-speed manual gearbox and Torsen limited-slip differential. The Dark Horse R's race-readiness is capped off with a Recaro racing seat approved by the FIA – the governing body of global motorsport. Mustang Cup cars come to Australia through Miedecke Motorsport, Australian agents for Multimatic – the company behind the Dark Horse R as well as a host of Ford Performance models, including the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race and road cars. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The cost of a Mustang Cup Dark Horse R is, according to Ford Performance, $US159,000 ($242,700). The lower-spec 2024 Mustang Dark Horse with a manual gearbox is currently priced at $98,017 before on-road costs, with the automatic at $101,917 before on-roads. The Ford series is expected to cost less than the Porsche Carrera Cup, both a national and global one-make racing series using the Porsche 911 which is speculated at around $1 million per year to compete in. Showroom rival Toyota – which will compete against Ford in the Supercars championship with its Supra sports car from 2026 – also runs a national one-make series in Australia, the Gazoo Racing Cup (GR Cup). Supplied Credit: CarExpert It's also designed to develop young racing talent, with current Supercars championship leader, Broc Feeney, one of its star graduates, having won his first race in the Toyota series as a 15-year-old in 2018. The GR Cup uses the much-lauded Toyota GR86 sports car, with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, but in the V8 Dark Horse R the Mustang Cup will offer a more powerful, faster race car closer to 'higher' series such as the Super 2 category, one step down from Supercars. 'The Mustang Dark Horse R was designed to be a turnkey race car to provide a thrilling, accessible, and competitive platform for drivers,' said the global director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, in a statement. 'Seeing it embraced by our team in Australia and set to form a new national championship is fantastic. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Rushbrook pointed to 20-year-old Australian racer, Cameron McLeod, who won two Mustang Dark Horse R races at the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this month. The races were part of the US-based 2025 IMSA Ford Mustang Challenge. '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,' he said. The Ford Mustang ecosystem is extensive, with the US car giant offering customer racing versions of the iconic V8-powered sports car in multiple categories, including GT4, GT3 and Supercars racing in Australia. MORE: Everything Ford Mustang

New series to revive Aussie racing's golden age
New series to revive Aussie racing's golden age

News.com.au

time4 days ago

  • News.com.au

New series to revive Aussie racing's golden age

The golden age of Australian motorsport will return in 2026 as Ford turns back the clock to the kind of racing that made Peter Brock and Allan Moffat superstars. Back then, racing heroes would take a car from the showroom, make a few minor modifications and hit the track. These days, modern Supercars racing sees multimillion-dollar, purpose-built racing machines fretted over by teams of mechanics and engineers. But a new series from Ford will turn back the clock and make racing a V8-powered Mustang cheaper and easier than before. The Mustang Challenge is a new series in the US that will reach Australia next year.. Andrew, Birkic, President and chief executive of Ford Australia, says the Mustang 'holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market'. 'This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under,' he said. 'We can't wait for 2026 to see these incredible cars battling it out on tracks all over Australia.' The series will be run by Driving Solutions, a firm with decades of experience in motorsport and automotive events. We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Ford Performance to bring Mustang Cup Australia to life,' Driving Solutions director James Stewart said. 'The Mustang Dark Horse R is a spectacular race car, and we believe a one-make series featuring this machine will be a huge drawcard for Australian drivers and fans. 'Our aim is to build a professional, competitive, and accessible series that provides a fantastic opportunity for young drivers to hone their skills, and for experience drivers to enjoy racing a high-performance and market-relevant race car. 'We look forward to working hard to make this series a roaring success.' The series puts drivers in identical Mustang Dark Horse R racing cars, which are purpose-built by Ford Performance in the US but are nearly-identical to the road-legal Mustang except for the added safety features - just like what Brock, Moffat and co. raced in the 1970s. One example of the Mustang Dark Horse R is already in the country to help drum up interest for the category, and six Australian drivers have signed up for June's special race at Le Mans, France. Chris Ward, Ford's global one-make category manager, is overseeing Mustang Challenge and is confident that the series will hit Aussie tracks next year. While there are still a few fine details to get resolved, Ward is confidently planning for an Australian series and said he would be 'thrilled' with a 20 car grid for the first season. Australia already has plenty of racing categories, including the Porsche Carrera Cup and Toyota GR 86 Series, but Ward believes the unique appeal of the Mustang will make it a worthy addition to the local racing scene. 'We are not coming to the market to disrupt what's already there,' he said. 'We want to supplement that, if that's the right word. We want to be supportive. We readily realise that there's a finite number of people in the Australian market that have the wherewithal to go sports car racing. So we're not looking to disrupt that.' Ford's goal, Ward explained, is to help introduce both young and older amateur drivers into the world of racing and hopefully have them progress up through its established pathway of other track-ready Mustangs that includes the GT4 and GT3 class cars. 'We're looking to further the sports car market in Australia where people that are track day enthusiasts, not have such a giant leap to go from the track day warrior, let's call them, to let's say GT4 racing or GT3 racing. We want to fill that little niche in between people that have taken their street cars onto the racetrack to go GT4 racing,' he said. One example of this is reigning Mustang Challenge champion Robert Noaker. The 21-year-old is a throwback to the likes of a young Peter Brock, racing for his own family-run team with only his dad and a few friends to help work on his car. His success in the inaugural season has seen him signed up to be part of Ford's 'junior team' of young drivers that it will groom for future sports car drives across its various activities. This allows him to dream of becoming a professional racing driver, something that was otherwise out of reach for him before Mustang Challenge. 'I'm still keeping the mindset of 'it's not going to happen', so I'm gonna just keep focusing on the business side, with the team. But I'm still doing whatever I can to try to make something out of the program and to try to step up the ladder [into GT4 or GT3].' Not surprisingly, like any racing driver, he has dreams of racing at Australia's greatest track - Mt Panorama, Bathurst - having previously run a race there in a different category. 'Personally, my favourite track is Bathurst. After I ran it, my first lap I'm like 'this has ruined everything else'. So I'd love to do the 12 hour or the 1000. And you know, being Ford is involved in the cars that race in that, I have the experience at the track already and maybe something could happen at some point. And that's the beauty of the program. You know, if you're the right fit for something, you're already in the program and you're able to go up their ladder.'

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