The one-make series featuring a fleet of Dark Horse Rs will kick-off in Australia next year on the SRO’s SpeedSeries bill.

Kiss, 21, will use the platform to step up to national level competition following stints in karts, Nissan Pulsars and NSW Production Touring Cars.

“Dad and I have been looking at doing something at a national level for a couple of years,” said Kiss, whose father’s exploits included V8 Utes and Super2.

“We were looking at another category, but we saw the Ford Mustang Dark Horse R at a practice day and at dad’s insistence I found out who we needed to chat to in order to purchase one.

“It ended up being Andrew and George Miedecke of which my father has known for a while, so that’s how it started leading to us purchasing one of the new Mustangs.”

Kiss showed no interest in racing during his father’s time behind the wheel but is now a keen competitor.

“I dabbled in karting, but it wasn’t something that stuck with me,” he explained.

“Dad and I built up a Subaru for a Cheap Car Challenge, but I elected not to enter that to jump into the Australian Pulsar Racing Association instead.

“I didn’t race consistently until my dad built a HSV GTS to race in the Bathurst 6 Hour and Production Touring, which I tested and enjoyed.

“We raced the GTS for a bit before switching to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, which I’ve raced consistently for the previous couple of seasons.

“The attractions to joining Mustang Cup Australia were getting back into rear-wheel-drive, the one-make formula, racing a factory built and developed car in addition to parts accessibility.

“In terms of what I hope to achieve in the series, I hear there will be a lot of good competition that will be entering and I think it will be quite a bit of fun.

“I just want to get through the season and gain a lot of experience, while having fun travelling around Australia racing.”

The first batch of Ford Mustang Dark Horse Rs is currently on its way to Australia from the United States.

Twelve of the V8-powered cars are expected to dock in Sydney this October, with a full field of 25 available for the start of the 2026 season.

The competition will get underway at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on March 27-29.