Ford is saluting America’s veterans with a first-of-its-kind all-star race and music event on Nov. 11 at the Daytona International Speedway. The Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic will pit six teams of Ford Racing drivers against each other in a dozen Ford Mustang Dark Horse R racing cars on the track’s 3.6-mile road course.
“We were looking for a venue that’s steeped in rich racing pedigree, where obviously Ford Racing has a rich racing pedigree,” Ford Racing Global One-Make Series Manager Chris Ward told American Cars And Racing.
Each Mustang will wear a livery inspired by one of the six branches of the United States Armed Forces, with the lineup as follows:
Army: Brad Keselowski and Joey Hand
Marines: Ryan Blaney and Ben Hobson
Air Force: Austin Cindric and Frankie Muniz
Navy: Ryan Preece and Logan Sargeant
Coast Guard: Joey Logano and Ty Majeski
Space Force: Noah Gragson and Layne Riggs
The event is taking place during the HSR [Historic Sportscar Racing] Classic 24 at Daytona / Daytona Historics racing festival, where Ford is the featured marque this year, and will air live on USA Network starting at 8 p.m. ET.
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It kicks off with a concert by the Zac Brown Band and special guests and the 30-minute race starts at 9 p.m. A victory celebration and additional musical performances will round out the show.
“It’s important to note that this isn’t a one-off. The concept and the idea of the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic is that this becomes an annual tradition, much like the Army-Navy game or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Ward said.
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“We want to get this into the psyche of the American people that at 8 p.m. on Veterans Day, everybody gathers around their television to tune in to the Proud to Honor Veterans Day Classic and cheer on their branch of the military in a new and exciting racing format.”
Tickets to attend in person are $110 and include parking, with half of the proceeds earmarked for the Blue Star Families charity. Veterans can get a 20% discount, and Ford is donating 1,000 tickets to military and veteran families through its philanthropy partners. A Proud to Honor Tailgate fan zone opens at 3 p.m. and a 15-minute qualifying session is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
