Ford is making a strong return to GT3 racing by entering the legendary ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’ race with two all-new GTD Pro class Mustang GT3s. Both racing cars are supported by the factory, bearing the signature of Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsport
As Ford Performance kicks off the 2024 sports car racing season with the legendary ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’, Mustang, Ford’s flagship coupe model, joins GT3 and GT4 racing versions to lead the company’s return to world events of this kind.
Mustang will make multiple appearances at the iconic US racing event, with Mustang GT3s competing in the ‘Rolex 24 at Daytona’ in the GTD Pro and GTD classes and Mustang GT4s in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge events.
All the racing cars, which are based on the production version of the new Ford Mustang that is expected to be launched soon in Europe, have been developed by Ford Performance as part of a joint development program with its long-time racing partner, Multimatic Motorsports.
“We are ready to unleash the power of the new Ford Mustang GT3 and GT4 to prove their potential at a very exciting time for the sport,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Daytona International Speedway is a venue where we have enjoyed many great moments in our history, and now we look forward to returning to IMSA racing.”
In the GTD Pro class, Ford and Multimatic field a factory-supported, two-car field. The No. 64 Mustang GT3 drivers on the doors are Chris Mies, Mike Rockenfeller and Harry Tincknell, while Le Mans winners Joey Hand and Dirk Müller, along with Frédéric Vervisch, will be behind the wheel of the second Mustang GT3 with No. 65. Both numbers chosen for the factory cars honor the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang.
“The first race for any new car is always the most challenging,” said Larry Holt, Executive Vice President of Multimatic Special Vehicle Operations. “Our participation in Daytona is the culmination of two years of intensive work by Multimatic, Ford and M-Sport. We are ready!”.
Customer team Proton Competition enters the new Mustang GT3 with the No. 55 in the GTD class, driven by Dennis Olsen, Corey Lewis, Ryan Hardwick and Giammarco Levorat.
At Daytona, two customer teams are set to field the new Mustang GT4 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge events. More specifically, KohR Motorsports will field the No. 59 Mustang GT4 driven by Luca Mars and Bob Michaelian, with the former also competing in the VP Racing Sports Car Challenge. McCumbee McAleer Racing is also celebrating the exciting next chapter of the legendary American coupe by welcoming the No. 13 Mustang GT4, driven by Chad McCumbee and Jenson Altzman, to the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
At the Rolex 24 at Daytona race, Ford Motor Company has recorded significant successes in the past, from its first victory in 1966 to its dominance in the GTLM class in 2017.
This year the 24 Hours of Daytona race starts on Saturday January 27th.
Source: Skai
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