As the green flag drops to start the 2024 racing season on Saturday, Ford Mustang is leading the return of the Dearborn automaker’s return to global sports car racing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Mustang will compete in multiple races at the iconic endurance event, with Mustang GT3 race cars competing in the GTD Pro and GTD classes of the headline Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mustang GT4 competing in both the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge.
All of the cars have been developed as part of a joint program by Ford Performance and long-time racing collaborator Multimatic Motorsports in Markham, Ontario, Canada.
“We are ready to unleash the Ford Mustang GT3 and GT4 cars during a very exciting time for the sport,” says Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “Daytona International Speedway has been the site for many remarkable moments through our history, and we can’t wait to return to IMSA competition.”
In GTD Pro, Ford and Multimatic are fielding a two-car, factory-backed GT3 team. Le Mans winners Joey Hand and Dirk Müller are joined by Frédéric Vervisch racing in the No. 65. The numbers for both factory-backed cars honor Ford Mustang’s 60th anniversary.
“With any new program, the challenge is always about going the distance, especially when you are starting with a 24-hour race at Daytona,” Hand explains. “We have had two really good running cars throughout pre-season testing and that’s so important. We have a feel of the car now; what the tires will do over long stints, how fuel load reacts over long stints and so on.”
Drivers Chris Mies, Mike Rockenfeller, and Harry Tincknell will campaign in the No. 64 Mustang
“The first race for a new car is always the most challenging,” says Larry Holt, executive vice president of special vehicle operations at Multimatic. “Daytona is the culmination of two years of intense work by Multimatic, Ford, and M-Sport, with no effort spared in creating a car capable of taking on the legendary twice around the clock contest.”
Mustang GT3 customer Proton Competition is entering its GT3 in the GTD Class with drivers Dennis Olsen, Corey Lewis, Ryan Hardwick, and Giammarco Levorato piloting the No. 55 car.
Two customer teams are set to launch the all-new Mustang GT4 in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series and the IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge at Daytona.
KohR Motorsports will see the return of Luca Mars and Bob Michaelian in the No. 59 Mustang GT4, with Mars simultaneously competing in VP Racing Sports Car Challenge. McCumbee McAleer Racing also celebrates the next chapter of Mustang, fielding the No. 13 of Chad McCumbee and Jenson Altzman to Michelin Pilot Challenge.
In other Ford racing news, Italy-based Sparco, a provider of motorsports wear and equipment, has become the official supplier of technical racewear and team apparel for Ford Performance and its factory-backed racing teams.
“Sparco shares our determination and passion in both global motorsports and road car programs,” Rushbrook says. “Ford Performance and Sparco jointly embrace a commitment to excellence, fostering continuous innovation both on and off the track and we are excited about what the future holds.”
