Ford GT Supercar LM GTE Pro Class 2016

Last update May 2017

2016

June 20th 2016 - All-New Ford GT Wins GTE Pro Class In Le Mans 24h Race. No. 68 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT of Sébastien Bourdais, Joey Hand and Dirk Müller takes victory in LM GTE Pro category at Le Mans 24 Hours . Victory comes exactly 50 years on from Ford’s 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans in 1966. No. 69 Ford GT finishes on the podium in third place in GTE Pro Class. May 1st 2016 ?October 7th 2016 - Ford GT won GTLM Class at IMSA WeatherTech Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca . July 1st 2016- Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe won the IMSA WeatherTech Watkins Glen session in Ecoboost Ford GT N°67. October 19th 2016 - Ford GT finished first and secong in WEC Fuji 6 Hours GTE Pro Category with car N°67 in front of car N°66. (according to dailysports.com) November 7th 2016 - Ford GT finished first and second in WEC  Shangai 6 Hours.

2017

January 29th, 2017 -Ford GT Wins GT Le Mans Class 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona April 19th, 2017- Ford GT Claims 2017 WEC Season Opener with Silverstone Victory

2017 Daytona Rolex 24 Hours- Ford GT victory in GTLM Class

sources: text and photos Ford Media Archive

Ford Returning to Le Mans in 2016 with All-New Ford GT, Marking 50th Anniversary of 1966 Victory

• Ford returns to Le Mans in 2016 with the all-new Ford GT supercar to compete in LM GTE Pro class, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Ford’s 1966 overall victory
• All-new Ford factory program to compete in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with a two-team, four-car effort – operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
• Ford GT is company’s showcase for aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fiber construction, along with new twin-turbocharged Ford EcoBoost® V6  – most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever

Jun 12th, 24 Hours Le Mans 2015- Ford announced today it is returning to one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world with its new Ford GT race car, based on the all-new ultra-high-performance supercar that goes on sale next year.
The Ford GT race car will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – referred to by many as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency – starting next year. Revealed today at the famous circuit in Le Mans, France, Ford GT will compete in the Le Mans GT Endurance class for professional teams and drivers (LM GTE Pro).

The new race car – a further proof point of Ford innovation – is based on the all-new Ford GT supercar unveiled in January. Both the production car and race car will arrive in 2016 to mark the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ford went on to repeat its victory at Le Mans in 1967, 1968 and 1969.

“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,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “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.”

The new Ford GT race car will run the full 2016 schedules of the FIA World Endurance Championship and TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, making its competition debut in January 2016 in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Florida. The two Ford teams will be operated by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS). Both series teams intend to compete with a four-car effort at Le Mans. Drivers will be announced later.

 “Ford remains focused on three priorities globally – accelerating our One Ford plan, delivering product excellence with passion and driving innovation in every part of our business,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. “All three came together to create the new Ford GT. We also know from our rich history in motorsports that world-class competition is a great incubator for even further product innovation.”

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 lineup. These include state-of-the-art aerodynamics to deliver outstanding levels of downforce for improved stability with minimal drag, advanced lightweight composites featuring carbon fiber 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.”

Joining Ford in this project are Multimatic Motorsports, Roush Yates Engines, Castrol, Michelin, Forza Motorsport, Sparco, Brembo and CGRFS. The race car has undergone extensive design and testing within Ford and Multimatic, with CGRFS providing input into the development. Roush Yates is supporting development of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 – the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine debuted in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014. Since then, Ford, with CGRFS, has captured significant overall wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Rolex 24 At Daytona. Besides great success in sports cars, Ganassi race teams achieved major victories in the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Indianapolis 500.

“We’ve won races and championships, but we’ve never run Le Mans,” said team owner Chip Ganassi. “When presented the opportunity to compete with the all-new Ford GT on the world’s biggest sports car 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.”

Wallpapers of the Ford GT Supercar LM GTE Pro Class 2016

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