Ford Planning Three-Car Effort for 12H Sebring


dbk

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Killin me. Guess I gotta go to this one too.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/ford-planning-three-car-effort-for-12h-sebring/

Following its four-car effort at last month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, Ford is poised to continue with an increased presence in the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with three Ford GTs in the works for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Multiple sources have indicated to Sportscar365 that Ford Chip Ganassi Racing is preparing to enter a third GT Le Mans class entry, alongside its two full-season cars for Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe.

The driver lineup for the yet-to-be-announced third car has not been revealed.

When asked by Sportscar365, team manager Mike O’Gara wouldn’t confirm the three-car entry but said to expect a Sebring program announcement next week.

With the UK-based, Multimatic-run arm of the team prepping for the start of the FIA World Endurance Championship season, it’s understood the additional entry would be run in-house by the Indianapolis-based squad.

Only one of the two cars that WEC team ran at Daytona has been shipped back to its UK base.

Hand, Mueller and Sebastien Bourdais claimed top honors in GTLM at Daytona, in a race that saw three Fords finish in the top-seven in class.

Four Fords, meanwhile, have been confirmed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a largely unchanged driver lineup from last year, except for the addition of Pipo Derani to the No. 67 car alongside Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell.
 

BtwoG

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Dec 8, 2013
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Coincidentally I just picked up my ticket this morning. Hope to see you there!
 

Howard

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See you there.

Howard
 

Sinovac

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Sebring video:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...470-prototype-gte-warning-ferrari-7.html&_rdr

Compare the height of the NFGT to the ZO6 at :17 and then to the 488 and Porsche at :39.
 
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RJY

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TN
Wow what a great promotional video!
 

Cobrar

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:wink
Killin me. Guess I gotta go to this one too.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/ford-planning-three-car-effort-for-12h-sebring/

Following its four-car effort at last month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, Ford is poised to continue with an increased presence in the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with three Ford GTs in the works for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Multiple sources have indicated to Sportscar365 that Ford Chip Ganassi Racing is preparing to enter a third GT Le Mans class entry, alongside its two full-season cars for Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe.

The driver lineup for the yet-to-be-announced third car has not been revealed.

When asked by Sportscar365, team manager Mike O’Gara wouldn’t confirm the three-car entry but said to expect a Sebring program announcement next week.

With the UK-based, Multimatic-run arm of the team prepping for the start of the FIA World Endurance Championship season, it’s understood the additional entry would be run in-house by the Indianapolis-based squad.

Only one of the two cars that WEC team ran at Daytona has been shipped back to its UK base.

Hand, Mueller and Sebastien Bourdais claimed top honors in GTLM at Daytona, in a race that saw three Fords finish in the top-seven in class.

Four Fords, meanwhile, have been confirmed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a largely unchanged driver lineup from last year, except for the addition of Pipo Derani to the No. 67 car alongside Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell.

New news? http://www.fordgtforum.com/forums/s...rani-Signing-With-Ford-is-“A-Dream-Come-True”
 

dbk

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Derani is racing in a DPi car at Sebring. GT in the WEC races.
 

Cobrar

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Derani is racing in a DPi car at Sebring. GT in the WEC races.

Made my point in the wring thread then, I guess. Ford investment to grow.
 

Sinovac

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See you there.

Howard

Are you bringing your GT?
 

STORMCAT

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Looks like I'll be getting some tickets today. My crystal ball says Billy Johnson will be one of the drivers. Not sure if it will be his complete team or maybe a hybrid team
 

Vince H

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I had to share that video. That says it all right there in regards to production vs. race car.

Vince H
 

Howard

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Sinovac, I would bring the GT if there was secure parking, or a GT corral......which there isn't.

Howard
 

Sinovac

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Sebring fact or fiction and legend of the buried GT40:
https://www.sebringraceway.com/track-info/sebring-urban-legends

More on the Bob McLean GT40 crash that claimed his life:
http://www.sportscardigest.com/monster-gator-sebring-raceway/
 
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Sinovac

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Wow what a great promotional video!

It's pretty cool. I'm surprised the #62 Ferrari didn't try to punt the GT into the weeds.

I'm glad to see a three car effort at Sebring. Ford is deadly serious about winning the Triple Crown (Daytona/Sebring/Le Mans).

I still can't believe there is a road car variant. Enjoy these good times.
 

soroush

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I had not seen that video. very cool indeed!
 

shesgotlegs

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Cool thread.
 

BtwoG

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Likewise. Dont know where I'd park it.

Sinovac, I would bring the GT if there was secure parking, or a GT corral......which there isn't.

Howard
 

dbk

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Just a follow up:

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing to Field Three Ford GTs at Sebring

Drivers Stefan Mücke, Olivier Pla and Billy Johnson (No. 66 Ford GT, FIA WEC) to race in No. 68 Ford GT at 12 Hours of Sebring

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing looks to carry forward momentum from GTLM win at Rolex 24 At Daytona

Ford looks to sweep three of the world’s most legendary endurance sports car events within nine months

SEBRING, Fla., March 2, 2017 – Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will send three Ford GTs to the 12 Hours of Sebring March 18, 2017 as the team attempts to sweep three of the most legendary endurance sports car races in the world within nine months.

It’s also a chance to continue the valuable face-to-face, cross-development the drivers and crew enjoyed at the Rolex 24 At Daytona that ultimately benefits Ford’s effort at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

“We wish we could send all four cars like we did at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but the WEC cars will already be prepped for The Prologue test at Monza and the first race at Silverstone,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “Even though it’s impossible to bring all of our Ford GTs, we didn’t want to see this important opportunity to continue our cross-development pass us by.”

Drivers Stefan Mücke, Olivier Pla and Billy Johnson will compete in the No. 68 Ford GT as they did at the Rolex 24, to round out the three-car effort that includes the No.s 66 and 67 fulltime IMSA WeatherTech cars. Sébastien Bourdais will continue in the No. 66 with Joey Hand and Dirk Müller, and Scott Dixon will again join Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook in the No. 67.

Pla, Mücke and Johnson, who will join the full-timers at the first FIA World Endurance Championship race of the year, begin the FIA WEC season at The Prologue, the official pre-season test for the series, at Monza the week after the 12 Hours of Sebring, with the first race to follow at Silverstone in April.
The WEC crew who run the car for Mücke and Pla during the regular season will campaign the No. 68 Ford GT at Sebring.

“This is another great opportunity for our WEC and IMSA teams to work together as the opportunity to data share is invaluable,” said Chip Ganassi, owner of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing. “There are not a lot of opportunities for us to get together so when we have the chance we will always try to take advantage of it. Plus, to be able to bring another car to a legendary endurance event like Sebring is something special to all of us.”

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing followed a storybook win in GTE Pro at the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours with a GTLM victory at this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.
 

dbk

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So the lineups are:

No 66: Hand/Müller/Bourdais
No 67: Briscoe/Westbrook/Dixon
No 68: Johnson/Mücke/Pla
 

Cobrar

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There should be 4. Seniors tour; Andretti, Unser, Fittipaldi. ;-))