Ford confirms Le Mans return 12 | 06 | 2015
FORD HAS CONFIRMED it will return to he Le Mans 24-Hours next year as part of its new GT programme. Chip Ganassi Racing — which helped Bathgate's Dario Franchitti to IndyCar and Indy500 glories, and uses Ford engines in its USC prototypes — will run the programme.
Interestingly, Marino Franchitti powered a Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford EcoBoost DP to a stunning and dramatic victory on last year's Sebring 12-Hours. The 36-year-old Scot could well be on the team's potential driver list.
The return of the Blue Oval badge to sportsar racing will mark the 50th anniversary of Ford taking a one-two-three finish at Le Mans with the iconic GT-40 in 1966.
Ford has committed to contesting both the full World Endurance Championship and United SportsCar Championship next year. It will use its flagship GT road car, powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 from Ford's EcoBoost line-up, as used in the USC.
Though no drivers have been announced, Ganassi USC driver Scott Pruett attended the press conference at Le Mans, and the car will make its debut in next January's Daytona 24 Hours. The car will also run on Michelin rubber.
"We're back," said Ford Motor Company executive chairman Bill Ford. "We're back at Le Mans with a supercar.
“When the GT40 competed at Le Mans in the 1960s, Henry Ford II sought to prove Ford could beat endurance racing’s most legendary manufacturers.
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“We are still extremely proud of having won this iconic race four times in a row, and that same spirit that drove the innovation behind the first Ford GT still drives us today.”
And Chip Ganassi — one of America's most successful team bosses — is looking forward to the new challenge.
"We've won races and championships, but we've never run Le Mans," he said. "When presented with the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world's biggest sportscar stage, and on the 50th anniversary of one of the most storied victories in racing history, how could any race team not want to be part of that?
"Will it be a challenge? Absolutely, but we couldn't be with a better partner than Ford."
The Ford GT race car features a number of innovations Ford believes will not only make it competitive in LM GTE Pro, but ultimately positioned to provide benefits to each vehicle in the Ford line-up. These include state-of-the-art aerodynamics to deliver outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag, advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fibre for an exceptionally rigid but light chassis, and the power and efficiency of EcoBoost technology.
“As we developed the Ford GT, from the outset, we wanted to ensure we had a car that has what it takes to return Ford to the world of GT racing,” said Raj Nair, Ford Motor Company group vice president, Global Product Development and chief technical officer. “We believe the Ford GT’s advances in aerodynamics, light-weighting and EcoBoost power will make for a compelling race car that can once again compete on a global stage.”
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Jim McGill