Ford revealed the next-gen Mustang NASCAR racer back in May following a camouflaged track teaser and an early leak that showed off the new race car in the flesh. Since then, we’ve gotten a chance to hear its V8 soundtrack as well. The design of the car itself is a bit of a throwback, as it looks far more like the road-going Ford Mustang than its predecessor. But in terms of powertrains, the next-gen Mustang NASCAR racer is much more forward-thinking.
“We’re excited about what this platform does,” Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Performance Motorsports, told Ford Authority executive editor, Alex Luft, in a recent interview. “It’s an opportunity to future proof. We’re great today with what’s going to be racing in 2022, but we know as our world is changing with hybrid powertrains, full-electric powertrains, if we were going to do this new car as an industry, we have to make sure it’s able to grow with the automotive world – what people are going to be parking in their driveways and garages.”
“The ability to have a hybrid in there very easily in the very near future was important to us, something that NASCAR and the industry have already worked on,” Rushbrook added. “We’re able to do that. That’s going to be important so that we can continue learning the technical innovation of hybrid systems, and beyond that to full electric cars, too. The future is coming pretty quickly. I think we’re ready for it.”
In addition to future-proofing the new NASCAR Mustang in the powertrain department, it’s also considerably different from its predecessor – which has been in service since 2013. The new racer is wider, with a smaller greenhouse area, a new independent rear suspension, and new 18-inch aluminum wheels.
The next-gen NASCAR Ford Mustang will compete in the Cup Series starting next season when it makes its racing debut at the 64th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20th, 2022.
We’ll have more on the new NASCAR Mustang soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Mustang news and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
So when they have full electric, it’ll be the Indy 50, not 500. Shoot, I won’t be able to nap then. Up side… crashes will be way cooler, I wonder how long these all electric cars will burn after a crash. I guess it depends on how many batteries they have. Weight limit should be interesting since these cars will weigh a lot more. I know, put solar panels on them. SHM…. Nascar will be no longer NASCAR fans, no longer. They’ll have to pump V8 soundtracks into the stadium. Sad….
They could do things like swappable batteries, would be no different than refueling during the pit stop. But that’s way down the road when they do full electric, first will be hybrid. That actually will be pretty cool, I’m imagining the same V8’s but everyone has a little boost button they can use to inject some electricity, would make for a lot more passing and I think really good spectator racing.
NASCAR is supposedly stock car racing, they’ve gotten away from that but still have always tried to stay as close as they can to production cars. So if the Camery, Mustang, and Camaro go electric, NASCAR needs to as well to match. If you don’t like electric don’t blame NASCAR, blame all the auto companies for going that direction.
While that might be true, I doubt anyone will notice. I did watch 1 lap of formula e, that was enough.
… the new car is wider with a smaller ‘greenhouse area’…
Good grief y’all, this stuff can’t be ‘made up’!
Looks like F M C is WOKE , the day the electric race car is on track will be last race I view/attend. Internal combustion engine emit zero emissions, where is electricity coming from to charge these cars? Lithium batteries are stored like nuclear waste Cannot be disposed of its all B S
They are. I knew there was an issue when the one idiot brother had them cancel the Excursion because the tree huggers were mad about it. Even tho one was making more profit than dozens of fiesta’s. They are supposedly part of that cabal that helped try to push Trump out. They don’t like the buy American build in America, unless it’s buying a Ford.
Henry Ford designed the model T to run on ethanol Rockefeller had zillions of gallons of oil he needed to sell. Being co conspirators he changed it to petroleum based fuel. It’s all a lie and F M C knows it I have been a blue oval man my entire life Next suto will not be a Ford product You would be wise to reintroduce the Taurus
Ok so if Nascar thinks going electric in a Race Car! Nothing beats the sound of a race car trust me Ford My Just rolled over in his grave some say that new him teased that Does was tattooed on his back side yep he was a famous Nascar engine builder that loved Ford’s a guy named Robert Yates worked for before he went out on his own pretty sure they shared some awesome horsepower secrets one thing for sure up there in heaven there hanging out Thinking Something some things should Never Change…….
Because nascar hasn’t lost enough fans yet