MDK Motorsports to chase inaugural Ford Mustang Challenge title

• IMSA-sanctioned race series to kick off June 7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

MDK Motorsports will launch a new championship assault next week, expanding to contest the inaugural season of the Mustang Challenge, a new five-race series featuring the new Ford Mustang® Dark Horse™ R race car.

MDK’s new program will debut at the championship’s first-ever event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, on June 7-9.

Four additional events will be staged at some of the most esteemed tracks in North America, including Watkins Glen, Road America, Circuit of the Americas, and the season finale at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Mustang Challenge is a significant new undertaking for MDK Motorsports, known historically for its Porsche racing endeavors.

Created by Ford Performance and sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), the Mustang Challenge allows drivers up to FIA silver ratings to compete on a level playing field against other racers aboard the same 500 horsepower, V8-powered car – the engine sourced from the 2024 Mustang Dark Horse coupe road car.

Each event will feature two 30-minute practice sessions, one 15-minute qualifying session, and two 45-minute sprint races. The series will be the home of the Mustang® Dark Horse™ R, Ford Performance’s latest turnkey race car. It begins a potential ladder of opportunity up to the Ford Mustang GT4 and on to the ultimate expression of the Mustang racing lineup, the Ford Mustang GT3.

Additional Mustang Challenge events this year will include the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York, June 20-23; the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 2-4; the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas August 31-September 1; and the SRO Intercontinental GT Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana October 4-6.

“MDK Motorsports is honored to partner with Ford on this inaugural season of the Mustang Challenge racing series,” said Megan Kvamme, CEO, MDK Motorsports. “This is an incredible opportunity to commemorate Ford’s remarkable racing legacy on the 60th anniversary of the iconic Mustang. The MDK team is ready for some exhilarating competition on the track!”

The Mustang Challenge program adds to an already busy season for the Ohio-based team. The team also is contesting full-season championships in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the LMP2 and GTD classes and multi-car efforts in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama, and Porsche Endurance Challenge championships.

On the same weekend as the Mid-Ohio event, MDK will also contest rounds five and six of Porsche Carrera Cup North America at the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Toronto. MDK’s season of success has continued to thrive throughout 2024 – last weekend winning races in Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama and claiming the first-ever race win in the new Porsche Endurance Challenge North America championship.

“As a team, we are thrilled to flex our racing chops and unleash our drivers with the new Mustangs race cars,” added Jan Magnussen, MDK program manager, former F1 driver, and four-time winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “This groundbreaking new series is poised to redefine excitement in this year’s racing season.”

ABOUT THE MUSTANG CHALLENGE
Racing enthusiasts who want to experience the thrill of sports car competition should look no further than the Mustang Challenge. The Mustang Challenge five-round 10-race series allows drivers up to FIA silver ratings to compete on a level playing field against other Mustang Dark Horse R cars. Drivers will be split into two classes; Dark Horse and Dark Horse Legends. Dark Horse Legends is an optional entry for drivers 45 years and above, with Dark Horse being for all drivers.