Ford Racing has officially unveiled the next generation of the NASCAR Cup Series car, the Mustang Dark Horse SC.
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The full reveal took place on Wednesday at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as Ford Racing prepared for the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic race. The OEM partner had announced last January that it would bring a new car to the Cup Series in 2027, but this event in Daytona Beach, Florida, provided the first opportunity for people to see the new car in person.
The production Dark Horse SC boasts a 5.2-liter V8 engine capable of delivering up to 795 horsepower and 660-lb.-ft. of torque. It has a restyled nose designed to create more downforce, something that three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano specifically said that he wants in 2027 and beyond.
Photo credit: Ford Racing
"The new car is going to take a minute for us to learn and understand, like what makes it better, and how do we capitalize on what makes it better," Logano said at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "So it may take a few races. We saw the Chevys go through that in the beginning of the year.
"So I'm very optimistic about it, but I'm also realistic about it too. It may take us a few (races), but maybe not. Maybe we'll hit it right off the bat and the new Dark Horse SC will be a rocket ship, but I think over time it will be. Street one's a badass ride, so hopefully the race one's cool. Maybe they'll put a supercharger on mine too (laughs)."
Ford has featured multiple stock cars in the national NASCAR series over the decades. The Gen 6 era, in particular, had the Fusion before the Mustang made its debut in 2019. The Gen 7 era then began with one Mustang body before Ford Racing introduced the Dark Horse in 2024.
Now, the Dark Horse SC will make its debut in 2027 as the OEM partner aims to achieve even more success in the Cup Series. After all, the Mustang has already been involved in 80 race wins and three Cup Series championships.
"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," said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Racing.
"Racing makes our road cars better, and our road cars make our race cars better. We put that philosophy to work here, incorporating key elements from the Dark Horse SC into the new Mustang race car to help make it even more competitive every week."
The Mustang Dark Horse SC will make its competitive debut on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027, during the Clash at Daytona International Speedway. It will make its regular-season debut on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027, during the Daytona 500.
After that opening crown jewel race, it will be up to the Ford-affiliated teams to quickly make gains and put the Dark Horse SC into victory lane.
"I think we're fortunate that we get some time at Daytona with the Clash to maybe prepare for the 500 and understand what our cars are like," Austin Cindric told FanBuzz.
"But the first short tracks and intermediates of the season (are a test), as they are for everyone, but definitely for us on a much larger scale. So definitely interested to see how that all plays out for us."
