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The Rumors Are True: Ford GT to Challenge LeMans in 2016!

DL-FordGT_LeMansRaceCar_02.0 When Ford dropped their stunning new GT supercar on a ravenous Detroit Auto Show crowd, talk of a factory-backed competition program immediately began to swirl through the hall. In a press announcement on Friday morning at the beginning of the LeMans weekend, Chairman Bill Ford confirmed the long-standing rumors of the Blue Oval’s return to international competition. The Ford GT will return to LeMans in 2016. With him, were Ford CEO Mark Fields, VP of global product development Raj Nair and Chip Ganassi, who will lead the factory racing teams. DL-FordGT_LeMansRaceCar_09.0 The Ford GT race car’s competition debut will be in January at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Plans include two four-car teams to compete in both the TUDOR United Sports Car Championship (TUSC) and the FIA World Endurance Championship. DL-FordGT_LeMansRaceCar_05.0 Timed perfectly to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Ford’s dominating 1966 1-2-3 win at LeMans with their now-classic GT40, the new twin-turbo V-6 EcoBoost GT supercar faces high expectations. The LeMans Ford GT will compete in the GTE Pro-class for production-based racers, taking on Ferrari, Aston Martin and Porsche, among others. Chip Ganassi Racing and Felix Sabates will run both teams. Drivers have not yet been designated. DL-FordGT_LeMansRaceCar_11.0 The unveiled GT racer is beautiful, purposeful and based heavily on the production car. Carbon Fiber and 3-D printing is utilized to save every possible ounce of weight and the turbo EcoBoost V-6 has already undergone massive development, powering cars in the TUSC championship since 2014. DL-FordGT_LeMansRaceCar_07.0 Other partners include Multimatic Motorsports, Michelin, Brembo, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Sparco, Forza Motorsport and CGRFS. Bill Ford, looking understandably confident said, “This vehicle, really from the beginning, was born to race. I cannot wait for next year.” DL-FordGT_LeMansRaceCar_13.0 With Ford all-in for 2016 it will be interesting to see what the European makes come up with to defend what they consider their territory. Endurance racing is already enjoying a surge in popularity and the entry of a major US manufacturer with the kind of competition history that Ford can boast is sure to draw huge attention to some of the greatest spectacle in motorsport. All photos courtesy of Ford Motorsports.
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