Obviously today is a big day for the Ford Mustang as it celebrates its 54^th birthday, and fans of the original pony car definitely have reason to party down under. Ford Performance announced that it is set to compete in the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship with the Mustang. And, that is part of a larger push by the Blue Oval’s hot rodders in a country that loves performance.

Ford Performance is about technology, innovation and product performance… — Graeme Whickman, Ford

“We are giving Mustang a proper birthday today, with the Australian unveiling of the new 2018 model and confirming its Australian track-debut with Supercars in 2019,” Ford Australia President and CEO, Graeme Whickman said. “We know enthusiasts of the Mustang, Australia’s most popular sports car, will be as excited as we are about seeing Mustang on track.”

In time for the Mustang’s 54th birthday, Ford announced that the Mustang would join the racing ranks at the Adelaide 500 in March 2019. Mustang entering the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is part of a much larger push into the Australian market. (Photo Credit: Ford Performance)

“The Mustang nameplate is one the of the most legendary in the world and we are proud to have it lining up on our grid in 2019. I know Australians, New Zealanders and our fans around the world will be just as excited as I am to see the Mustang take to our tracks in the world’s best touring-car racing,” Sean Seamer, CEO, Supercars Australia, said.

While that is exciting for Mustang fans, the pony car won’t be alone at Supercars races. All the cars on the circuit will receive support from Ford Performance’s latest pickup.

“To have the Ford Performance Ranger Raptor super truck as the Official Recovery Vehicle at all Supercars events is fantastic news. It gives us great confidence in working with a vehicle with the incredible capability of Ranger Raptor,” Sean added.

Alongside the Mustang racers, the Ranger Raptor is set to serve as the Official Recovery Vehicle of the Virgin Australia Supercar Series.

These two vehicles highlight a robust expansion of Ford Performance vehicles down under. In addition to the aforementioned Ranger Raptor, another vehicle not available in North America, the Fiesta ST, will hit the streets of Australia alongside a range of Mustang GTs and the limited edition Bullitt.

“Ford Performance’s diverse line-up of vehicles reflects customer feedback that Australians are looking for advanced, efficient, performance models across all types of vehicles,” Graeme added. “Ford Performance is about technology, innovation and product performance and to showcase our confidence in our performance range, we are bringing Mustang and the Ranger Raptor to the Supercars series in 2019.”