The first batch of 12 Fords has set sail for Australia and is expected to arrive in October from the United States.

When the one-make series begins in 2026 as part of the SRO Motorsports Australia-promoted Shannons SpeedSeries there will be at least 25 cars locally.

The remaining fleet of Ford Mustangs are set to arrive later this year.

One car already resides in Australia, which has been used for promotional purposes at Queensland Raceway and Sydney Motorsport Park.

“It’s really exciting to see the first 12 Dark Horse Rs complete and ready for delivery,” said category manager Liam Curkpatrick.

“We’ve been kept informed through the construction and build process and it’s been amazing to see the attention to detail that goes into each and everyone of these cars.

“Since officially launching the class for Australia, we have received incredible enquiries from a wide range of teams, competitors and industry stakeholders.

“With the backing of Ford Performance both locally and for the USA, combined with a quality calendar and broadcast package, we feel this class offers everything and more for all levels of drivers and teams.”

The turnkey race cars are built at Ford’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan.

Globally, the cars are all identical, meaning the Dark Horse R race cars competing in Australia will all be left-hand drive.

The first round of the series is slated for March 27-29 at Phillip Island.