Ford Racing is set to debut a new NASCAR Cup Series car at the 2027 Daytona 500, it has been confirmed.

Ford held a pre-season launch event in Detroit on Thursday evening where they unveiled, among other things, a production model of their new Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC, set to be introduced into NASCAR competition next season.

Ford first introduced the Dark Horse Mustang ahead of the 2024 season and had instant success, with Joey Logano going on to win the championship that year. Since its introduction, the car has taken a total of 19 Cup Series wins.

Logano's Team Penske teammate and 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney was the one on hand to help as part of the announcement on Thursday though, and it sounded like he's a big fan.

"It’s great that I got to drive it for the first time. The supercharged V8 is unbelievable,” Blaney said.

“The carbon brakes are really amazing. When you get on the track, you want to punch it hard, brake late. Mark, you think I can take this into competition soon?”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance, replied, before going on to announce when Blaney and his fellow Ford drivers will be able to race in the car in the Cup Series.

“In fact, I’m excited to announce tonight that we will, in 2027, take the Dark Horse SC and debut it at America’s racetrack with America’s race team, the Daytona 500.”

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Another new NASCAR car

Ford's move to bring in a new car from next season onwards comes after its rival Chevrolet has already introduced new machinery for the 2026 season.

Back in November, Chevrolet confirmed it would be updating their Camaro ZL1 body for Cup Series competition heading into the new campaign, making small tweaks to their previous model.

The new Camaro now features a larger hood dome, revisions to the front grille and redefined rocker panels. Chevrolet says that these features align with the Carbon Performance Package Accessories Kit’s carbon-fiber pieces on the hood and rockers, plus a new grille and front splitter.

The updated Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will make its competitive track debut in the season-opening Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1.

This will then be followed by its official NASCAR debut at the Daytona 500 a fortnight later - just like Ford's new car next year.

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