Team Thryv | Race For A Cure will bring the unmistakable presence of a Ford Mustang to Sydney Motorsport Park from 18 to 20 September, with Ben Kavich joining GWR Australia in the Motorcraft Mustang Cup Australia series for the final two rounds of 2026.
Ben will drive the #11 Dark Horse R in the penultimate round in Sydney, before heading to Victoria for the season finale at Sandown Raceway from 30 October to 1 November. Mustang Cup Australia is a Ford Racing-backed one-make category launched this year.
Every entry uses the track-only Mustang Dark Horse R, derived from the road-going Dark Horse and powered by a 5.0-litre Coyote V8 producing just shy of 373kW. Equal machinery puts the emphasis on driver skill and close racing.
The series caters to emerging drivers and experienced competitors through outright, junior and 40-plus classes. Each weekend includes the Johnson Cup on Saturday and Ambrose Cup on Sunday, named after Dick Johnson and Marcos Ambrose.
While two drivers can share a car, the team has nominated Ben to contest both Cups at Sydney and Sandown. The move also puts Race For A Cure around a nameplate with enormous Australian recognition.
The Mustang is another chapter in a season that began with Team Thryv | Race For A Cure winning the Bathurst 6 Hour before Ben moved into the TA2 Muscle Car Series. Finishing 2026 in Mustang Cup expands on that.
“The Mustang is one of those cars that creates an immediate reaction. It has history, attitude and an incredible presence, so taking the wheel of the Dark Horse R at Sydney will be a very special moment,” Ben said.
“This is a new car and a different racing format for me, which makes the challenge genuinely exciting. With every driver in equal machinery, you need to be accurate, committed and ready to fight for every position.”
The car will attract plenty of attention, providing another opportunity for Ben and the team to explain why Race For A Cure exists and why supporting breast cancer clinical trials research remains so important to his family.
Race For A Cure was established after Ben’s wife, Toula, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. The Kavich family transformed its personal experience into a national motorsport fundraising campaign that has now raised nearly $310,000 for Breast Cancer Trials.
To support Race For A Cure, visit: https://fundraise.breastcancertrials.org.au/event/race-for-a-cure/home
