Yahoo Autos Ford Is Returning to Formula Drift With an S650-Generation Mustang
The new S650-generation Ford Mustang is going racing all over the world, but the initial reveal of a slate of six Mustang racing cars notably did not initially include a drifting variant. That changes today, with Ford unveiling the drifting variants that Vaughn Gittin Jr. and his RTR team will bring to the 2023 Formula Drift season.
Gittin headlines a three-car RTR team in 2023, returning to Formula Drift competition after sitting out the 2022 season. Ford claims that the competition spec Mustangs will have 1300 horsepower and "advanced suspension development," both necessities to compete in a series where purpose-built drifting cars have become an industry standard. Two-time series champion Gittin will be joined by drivers Chelsea DeNofa, Adam LZ, and three-time series champion James Deane.
Drifting is a natural fit for the S650 Mustang, which can come equipped with an optional "Electronic Drift Brake" that brings some of what the hydraulic brakes on professional drifting cars can do to a road car. Gittin played a part in the final fine tuning of the drift brake that will make its way onto the road car, a process it shared in a video alongside the announcement of his 2023 competition plans. Ford claims that the final electronic drift brake can produce "more than three times the braking force" of a conventional parking brake, which should make Mustangs equipped with the option favorable cars for amateur drifters for years to come.
In addition to the drifting schedule, purpose-built racing cars branded as S650-generation Mustangs already compete in Australian Supercars and should soon compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. GT3 and GT4 variants have already been announced, although Ford has yet to reveal the final details surrounding the heavily anticipated GT3 variant seen testing last weekend and the announced factory program that will race it in IMSA.
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