ESPN: Ford submits Mustang for 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup approval

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Ford, Racing

Ford Mustang NASCAR Nationwide Race Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Forget the Fusion, Ford is making a move to bring the Mustang to Nascar's Sprint Cup Series. Ford has informed NASCAR decisionmakers that it wishes to begin racing the Mustang in the highest level of left-turning motorsports.

Replacing the Fusion is a process that could take all year, and Ford is required to show that the Mustang is a competitive equal to the cars it will race against. The reason behind the move is that Ford wants to show fans they can buy a car right off the showroom floor that mimics the one they watch every weekend on TV.

As fans of the roundy round are already aware, the Blue Oval already races a Mustang stock car in NASCAR - in the Nationwide Series. The pony car shown above made its competition debut last July during the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

We understand you can't purchase the same exact Mustang that will be hunting down rival racers around the county. In fact, we already know that you won't be able to purchase anything like a Sprint Cup Mustang for street use. But Ford knows that millions of people tune-in and show up to support their favorite drivers and brands. At least on some level, adding the Mustang to the mix makes more sense since the production car provides real driving thrills for its owners. Besides, unlike the Fusion, it's actually available in a coupe bodystyle like those used in NASCAR.

Now... if we can get Chevrolet to bring in the Camaro and Dodge to show up with the Challenger, we could be on the cusp of something special. Thanks for the tip, JR!

Gallery: 2010 Ford Mustang NASCAR Nationwide Series race car

[Source: ESPN]

ESPN: Ford submits Mustang for 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup approval originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/15/espn-ford-submits-mustang-for-2013-nascar-sprint-cup-approval/

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