Ford is one of the pillars that NASCAR was built upon. The manufacturer has been racing in the sport since its inception in 1949, and although not the most successful, it continues to provide reliable and competitive cars. Throughout the years, they have managed to stay relevant, competing immensely with Chevy and, at the same time, with Toyota. And now, they’re ready to upgrade.

Ford has been running the Mustang in the Cup Series field since the 2019 season. Since then, they have introduced various versions of the same, and the current Dark Horse has been running since 2024. As the teams prepare for the ‘26 season, Ford Racing announced its latest version of the Mustang Dark Horse, which teams like Team Penske and Front Row Motorsports will run from 2027.

Mustang Dark Horse SC: Ford’s NASCAR powerhouse in 2027

The Dark Horse SC is yet another modification of the current model of the Ford car on the Cup Series field. While it would be a little difficult to tell all the differences in the car upon first glance, there was quite a bit of R&D that went into it.

A new hood with larger events and underbody venting enhances the aerodynamics. All of these elements have been developed through road and track testing and will enable better cooling and aerodynamic performance during racing.

The carbon-ceramic brakes have also been improved, with the use of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 tires. These, however, will be adapted as per the NASCAR regulations.

Ryan Blaney, who won the 2023 Cup Series championship piloting a Ford, earlier had the chance to drive this car’s road version. Safe to say, he was impressed.

“It’s great that I got to drive it for the first time – the supercharged V8 is unbelievable,” he said. “The carbon brakes are really amazing. When you get it on the track, you want to punch it hard, brake late.”

The production model of the new car has already been tested at Sebring and Virginia International Raceway.

Currently, the Next Gen cars have reduced the performance difference between all three manufacturers. Yet, Ford has managed to clinch three Cup Series championships, and both with Roger Penske’s team.

Joey Logano clinched his second and third titles in 2022 and 2024, and Blaney won in 2023, as mentioned. Despite the numbers, however, the Next Gen cars have made quite a difference in terms of competitiveness.

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How have NASCAR’s Next Gen cars reduced competitive disparity?

The Cup Series has been using the Gen-7, more popularly known as the Next Gen cars, since the 2022 season. This era lacks a clear performance gap between Ford, Chevy, and Toyota.

NASCAR introduced these cars with parity as their central objective, aiming to reduce costs, tighten the field, and shift competitive emphasis away from manufacturer-driven engineering advantages.

Large portions of the car, such as the chassis, suspension, gearbox, etc, are now single-source. This eliminates the traditional areas where manufacturers once gained a significant advantage over their competition.

Although the engine development remains manufacturer-based, common displacement rules, RPM limits, and reliability requirements keep power outputs closely aligned. These aspects of the Next Gen car have seemingly standardized the stock car racing field, at least in the Cup Series.

However, it is quite apparent that Ford would still be looking to find the smallest of elements they can use to edge out over Chevrolet, who have remained quite successful in recent years.