Photo Credit: Steven Muncie/OnPitRoad.com
First, the new Camry; then, the Chevrolet Camaro; now, the Ford Mustang.
Ford made the announcement official Tuesday morning that it would be changing its model from the Ford Fusion to the Mustang in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019.
“This announcement makes me very happy,” said Edsel B. Ford II, a member of Ford Motor Company’s board of directors. “Mustang is a car that is woven into the fabric of our country, and it’s only right that we put it on the track in NASCAR’s most visible series. I can’t wait.”
Toyota brought its new Camry into the series in 2017, and it took NASCAR by storm, becoming a dominant force in the late stages of the year. Chevrolet replaced its SS with the Camaro ZL1 this year. The addition of two brand new cars seemed to have forced Ford into making a change as well.
It won’t be a brand new change for Ford, though. The manufacturer has been using the Mustang in the XFINITY Series since 2011.
“We’re combining America’s favorite sports car with America’s top stock car racing series,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Mustang always has been about affordable performance, which can be traced to innovations we’ve made competing in racing, like NASCAR. Mustang is a perfect fit for our racing heritage today and tomorrow.”
The Mustang is still going through testing and will be submitted to NASCAR for official approval during the summer.
