The Fun Continued at the Mustang Week Texas 2026 Track Day

On Day 2 of Mustang Week Texas 2026, the parade of Mustangs found its way to MSR Houston (aka Motor Speedway Resort in Angleton, TX) for a day of track fun. If you like turning left and right in your Mustang, this was the place to be. Even with zero track day experience or even a car, you could have an amazing time at the Mustang Week Texas 2026 Track Day, presented by SPE Motorsport. MSR is about an hour from Galveston and the host hotel Moody Gardens, where the week culminates on Friday and Saturday into a huge blowout. However, it did not seem to matter as Mustang lovers showed up in droves to sell out each of the experiences.

Go Fast, Turn Left (& Right)

Shaded paddocks and even garages were available to park your Mustang, in-between multiple heats spread throughout the day for the HPDE sessions on MSR’s 2.4-mile track for hot laps, lead by AutoXperts. If you are not familiar with High Performance Driving Events, they are not timed or competitive – various driving groups put together drivers of similar skill and experience to go out on track together, which is either point to pass or no passing depending on the rules of a particular group. Generally speaking, it’s a pretty safe way to get some track time without going wheel to wheel with another car in a competitive environment, but you can still turn some fast laps and have an amazing time.

If you didn’t want to risk a set of brake pads and tires for HPDE but still wanted the feel of the track, Mustang Week Texas 2026 offered a “Track Experience,” which was essentially parade laps where you drive on track but at a more controlled speed. Roush Performance sponsored the Timed Autocross, which was another way to carve corners with less wear and tear on the equipment. There was even a Dial-In challenge, where you could compete with Jack Roush Jr and others to see how consistent you can run regardless of whether you were faster or slower than the next guy. William Abel wound up beating Jack and a fierce group of competitors to take the crown.

AUTOCROSS DIAL-IN CHALLENGE

• William Abel – 1st place 
• Willie Kirkpatrick – 2nd place
• Kenneth Doan – 3rd place 

No Mustang, No Problem

Other activities didn’t even require a Mustang to have a great time, including karting. Open karting took place throughout the whole day on MSR’s healthy, three-quarter-mile outdoor karting track. Late in the afternoon, though, Joes took on the Pros – anyone could enter to qualify against professional racers from the Mustang Cup, the RTR Drift Team, and even Jack Roush Jr. The best times determined the top half of the final race from the amateur and pro groups, where they’d square off in a final race using an inverted starting grid. The best amateur had a $500 check waiting for them.

As the top qualifier, this put Ben Hobson of RTR at the very back to start the race, but he deftly navigated his way to the top. Hobson’s smooth driving style carved the track like a Thanksgiving turkey, while others wrestled with the kart and the track to extract everything they could. In certain sections there was air under all four tires of some of the karts. Someone even lost a wheel. But Hobson just kept gaining ground and handily took the win. Brett Thomas held his own against the pros, and took home $500 and a trophy. Not a bad return on a $20 investment if you ask me.

If you want to feel some speed without using your own car – ride-alongs were available throughout the day on the 2.4-mile road course at no cost. The folks at RTR and AutoXperts were giving rides in their cars to give event-goers a sense of what it would be like to go out on track in their own Mustang. However, if you ever wanted to know what it was like to go out on track in a full race car, the Mustang Cup team was strapping people in for a lap as well, for the very first time ever at Mustang Week Texas 2026. Late in the afternoon, they put on a 20-minute exhibition race to demonstrate the thrill of going wheel to wheel in the Dark Horse R and “Classic” FR500C (another Mustang Week first). The four cars traded positions and showed a lot of speed on MSR’s track. It was an experience unlike any other for a Mustang fan to be up close and personal when the four cars came barrelling down the front straight. (For more on the Mustang Cup, check out the Kick-Off Party coverage.)

The Cool Down Lap

After most had all the sun, fun, tacos, and barbecue they could handle at MSR, the evening concluded at The Spot, for a party hosted by Northside Mustang Club. Located on Seawall Boulevard, the views were fantastic, and I’m not just talking about the view of the Gulf. Mustangs gathered in the small lot in front of the restaurant to the beat of a DJ, drinks, and a casual hang. It was a nice, low-key way to come down from the high of the track time. With Mustang Week Texas 2026 Drag Day on deck, it was important to refuel with some good food and drink.

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