All four Ford GTs competed on track together for the first time since the Le Mans 24 in 2016. The team qualified p1-2-3 in GTLM.
The same drivers who propelled Ford to a GTE Pro win at Le Mans in 2016, Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais, secured the Daytona win. The victory is the seventh Rolex 24 win for Chip Ganassi Racing, the first in the GT ranks, and the 19th win for Ford at the event.
Ford’s history with the event in its current format stretches back to its very first green flag. In 1966, a Ford GT 40 won the first-ever 24-hour endurance race at Daytona.
“This is a great win for our GT program,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, Ford Motor Company. “It's a credit to everyone involved, from our Ford team to Ganassi, Roush Yates, Multimatic and Michelin. Conditions were very difficult throughout much of the race, but that winning car had no issues at all against some of the best competition in the sport. There's a lot to be proud of with this win and we hope it's the start of a great season for our teams."
The race gives momentum to Ford Chip Ganassi Racing for the rest of the year in both IMSA and FIA WEC competition.
“It’s a proud day for everyone at Ford,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “We came into this race with a lot to prove after last year and it was great to see all four of our GTs run so well. The competition was amazing, and the 66 car guys ran a perfect race. It's a great way to start 2017, and we couldn't be more proud of everyone who worked so hard to prepare for this race."
The Ford GT is scheduled to race in the following:
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Jan. 6-8 Roar Before The Rolex 24 - Daytona International Speedway
Jan. 26-29 Rolex 24 at Daytona - Daytona International Speedway
March 15-18 Mobil 1 Twleve Hours of Sebring - Sebring International Speedway
April 7-8 Bubba Burger Sports Car Grand Prix - Long Beach, California
May 4-6 Circuit of The Americas - Austin, Texas
June 2-3 Chevrolet Sports Car Classic - Detroit
June 29-July 2 Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen - Watkins Glen, N.Y.
July 7-9 Canadian Tire Motorsports Park - Clarington, Ontario
July 21-22 Lime Rock Park - Lakeville, Conn.
Aug. 3-6 Continental Tire Road Race Showcase - Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Aug. 25-27 Michelin GT Challenge - Virginia International Raceway
Sept. 22-24 Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix - Laguna Seca Raceway
Oct. 4-7 Petit Le Mans - Road Atlanta
World Endurance Championship
April 16 6 Hours of Silverstone Silverstone Circuit
May 6 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Circuit de Spa, Belgium
June 17-18 24 Hours of Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe, France
July 16 6 Hours of Nurburgring Nurburgring, Germany
Sept. 3 6 Hours of Mexico Mexico City
Sept. 16 6 Hours of Austin Circuit of the Americas
Oct. 15 6 Hours of Fuji Fuji Speedway, Japan
Nov. 5 6 Hours of Shanghai Shanghai Circuit, China
Nov. 18 6 Hours of Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
Written by Nicole Ellan James