{"id":291321,"date":"2025-11-17T23:05:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/291321\/"},"modified":"2025-11-17T23:05:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T23:05:16","slug":"new-mustang-cup-to-honour-dick-johnson-and-marcos-ambrose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/291321\/","title":{"rendered":"New Mustang Cup to honour Dick Johnson and Marcos Ambrose"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"New
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDick Johnson (left) with Marcos Ambrose.<\/p>\n

The announcement coincides with confirmation of race formats for the series, which will feature qualifying and a 40-minute race on each day.<\/p>\n

Entrants will be able to compete solo or as a pair. Those who decide to enter two drivers will have one driver contest Saturday\u2019s program and the other on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Points earned by drivers in Saturday\u2019s race will count towards the Johnson Cup while Sunday\u2019s points will count towards the Ambrose Cup.<\/p>\n

These are in addition to the outright \u2018Dark Horse\u2019 class, \u2018Dark Horse Junior\u2019 class for drivers 19 years old and under, and \u2018Dark Horse Legends\u2019 for drivers 40 years old and over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really pleased to see the Mustang Cup come to Australia for 2026,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dark Horses are a serious bit of gear, and they are the perfect choice of car for young kids taking their first steps into V8-powered racing, or for the older drivers looking to get bang for their buck.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel honoured to have my name on one of the prizes that will be awarded at the end of the season, and I\u2019m really looking forward to seeing the category launch in March next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ambrose made a name for himself not only in Australia as a two-time Supercars champion, but as a NASCAR Cup Series race winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve driven for a lot of other manufacturers around the world, but none are as close to my heart as Ford and my time racing here in Australia with the Blue Oval,\u201d said Ambrose.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a great time together, we had a huge fanbase, we did a lot of winning and it really was just a glorious time to be around motorsport and the Ford brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ambrose endorsed the new Mustang Cup, which will be a key part of the Shannons SpeedSeries in 2026.<\/p>\n

The first round of the new one-make series begins at Phillip Island on March 27-29.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the Mustang Cup Australia and Ford came to me to talk about the category and whether it would be okay to put my name on one of their trophies, I said \u2018absolutely\u2019,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a great thing. I love Mustangs, I\u2019m a huge fan of Ford, I have a huge soft spot in my heart for the brand here in Australia. I\u2019m certainly happy to help.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can race for the Ambrose Cup or the Johnson Cup, but my trophy is going to be bigger! So, you better race for the bigger one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mustang Cup Australia series manager Liam Curkpatrick hailed the big-name endorsements.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving the support of legends like Dick Johnson and Marcos Ambrose is a huge coup for Mustang Cup Australia,\u201d said Curkpatrick.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe appreciate their support and look forward to honouring them for years to come as our drivers compete to hold up their cups each year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike all modern one-make and sportscar categories, there\u2019s a class structure that opens up \u2018races within races\u2019 \u2013 ensuring that whoever you are and wherever you are running, there\u2019s always something to race for.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn top of awarding an outright Mustang Cup Champion each year, we are excited to introduce the unique opportunity of an optional two-driver format, allowing two drivers to pursue separate championships or one driver to compete in both. It creates further opportunities and excitement within the series.\u201d<\/p>\n


\"\"
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