Mustang Unleashed Tour is like a SEMA show just for the pony car

Ford's description of the Mustang Unleashed tour reads like a SEMA devoted exclusively to the pony car. It's just the kind of present an industry icon — one with perhaps the greatest aftermarket in the world — deserves for its 60th anniversary year. Even better, the present's being shared with Mustang owners and the public. A "festival-like atmosphere" at 12 stops throughout the year will include static walkarounds, customizing and tuning ideas in the Mustang Garage, demos of the Mustang's Remote Rev system and the burnout-producing line lock, and hot-lap ridealongs with professional drivers.

Six locations have been announced so far, three in April, two in May, one in June. Six more will be announced later. The initial schedule is: 

• April 12-13: Formula Drift, Long Beach, California
• April 21: Fabulous Fords, Irwindale, California
• April 26-28: Psych Fest, Austin, Texas
• May 10-11: Formula Drift, Braselton, Georgia
• May 17-19: HyperFest, Alton, Virginia
• June 7-9: Backwoods, Ozark, Arkansas

Looks like the automaker's not sticking to the usual Mustang-focused crowd with this tour; the automaker's out to expand the Mustang user base with some of these dates. Austin Psych Fest is "a three-day lineup of psych rock, dream pop, and indie rock and under the stars and oak trees in the backyard at The Far Out Lounge." Backwoods is also all about the music, an EDM festival sure to have crowd of Mustangs in the grassy lots (this one's gonna be the wild joker in the bunch). One of the dates later in the year will be at ComplexCon in Las Vegas, which organizer Complex magazine calls the "Super Bowl of culture." 

Not every location will offer every event; attendees are more likely to get hot laps at HyperFest, held at Virginia International Raceway, than in the fields at Backwoods.

Registration is open now for all owners of the 2024 Ford Mustang. It's necessary to enter a VIN before getting access to purchase a ticket, so we're not sure about the entry fee. Non-'Stang drivers or owners of earlier model years are on standby — apparently they have to show up to the event gates and hope there are tickets left.