Ford Racing is bringing 12 drivers, six Mustang Dark Horse Rs, and one unusual organizing principle to Daytona International Speedway on November 11: team allegiance by military branch.
The inaugural Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic pairs each car with a branch of the U.S. armed forces, each wearing a custom livery drawn from that branch’s iconic vehicles, vessels, or aircraft. The team assignments are as follows. U.S. Army: Joey Hand and Brad Keselowski. U.S. Marine Corps: Ryan Blaney and Ben Hobson. U.S. Navy: Logan Sargeant and Ryan Preece. U.S. Air Force: Frankie Muniz and Austin Cindric. U.S. Space Force: Noah Gragson and Layne Riggs. U.S. Coast Guard: Joey Logano and Ty Majeski.
The driver roster mixes NASCAR regulars with less expected names. Frankie Muniz, competing for the Air Force entry alongside Cindric, is the most conspicuous crossover booking. The event format is a one-make invitational, so the car is a constant and the racing comes down to drivers and strategy on a track that punishes both mistakes.
The Dark Horse R is doing real competition work elsewhere in Ford’s calendar. Ford Racing’s 2027 Mustang Challenge Global Invitational Championship sends the same car to Daytona, Spa-Francorchamps, and Mount Panorama across three rounds, so the platform already carries genuine racing credentials into this event.
The broadcast runs from 8 to 10 p.m. ET exclusively on USA Network, with a live stream on Fandango’s free platform. Entertainment segments air simultaneously on E! and stream on TikTok via the @e_entertainment, @usanetwork, and @usasports accounts. The Zac Brown Band headlines a musical lineup that also includes Russell Dickerson, Jo Dee Messina, Brittney Spencer, and Warren Zeiders, with Bryan Cranston and Adam Scherr appearing between sets. Tickets and additional details are at fordveteransdayclassic.com.
Ford has not announced whether the Veterans Day Classic will become an annual fixture or remain a standalone event, and the format details beyond the two-hour window are thin. What is clear is the marketing logic: six military branches, six custom liveries, a prime-time slot, and a holiday that connects directly to the audience Ford is explicitly honoring. The Mustang Dark Horse R gets a nationally televised showcase, and every branch gets a car to root for.
Six branches enter. One wins.
Source: Ford. Images courtesy of Ford.
