Ford’s new NASCAR Sprint Cup race car is designed to look unmistakably like the road-going 2013 Fusion.

That’s the return of brand identity to the track, says Ford. This handsome NASCAR machine was unveiled at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour and will make its track debut at Daytona 500 in February, 2013. The car will be tested throughout the 2012 campaign.

It’s a brilliant idea, race cars looking like the ones you drive on the road. It will attract more spectators to the sport. I mean if I owned a Fusion, I sure wanted this race car to win every single race!

Ford Fusion NASCAR features pretty much the same grille, headlights and front bumper as the production car and also uses brand and design cues in the side of the vehicle. Granted, that EcoBoost written on the sides of it doesn’t really insinuate power and performance, but EcoBoost is part of ever new Ford’s identity,

“We wanted Fusion to be the car that helped return ‘stock car’ to NASCAR,” stated Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing.  “I think fans, when they see the car, are just going to smile and cheer. It is going to reengage them with the sport and make the sport better because there is just something natural about seeing race cars that look like cars in their driveways.”