Ford GT race stint ends after 4 years, 19 wins

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Ford Motor Co. had a singular goal when it resurrected the GT race program in 2016: win at Le Mans to honor the 50th anniversary of the company's legendary victory there over Ferrari in 1966. It did that — and won 18 other races to boot — over the course of a four-year campaign that ended last week at Petit Le Mans in Atlanta. Aside from its success on the track, executives say the revived GT race program helped validate technologies and features that have made their way down Ford's lineup to F-150s, Mustangs and other vehicles. Rushbrook: Link to the showroom "The GT program was intended to be a halo for the company in terms of what we do and what we're capable of doing," Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance motorsports, told Automotive News. "The race car element is the pinnacle of that, allowing us to put cars in front of fans around the world and prove we can compete against the best companies and win races and championships." The GT's on-track success was further validation for Ford's EcoBoost-branded line of turbocharged engines. The car was powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine, the one found in F-150 pickups, although uniquely tuned for the track. Beyond that, Rushbrook said, insight gained on lightweighting and aerodynamics also have informed decisions on production vehicles. "There's a direct link between what a customer buys in the showroom and what we race on the track," he said. "This program gave us the opportunity to tell that story directly." Early troubles, then victory The GT's first event, the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in January 2016, ended in disaster. Both vehicles Ford entered suffered from a faulty gearbox actuator and other problems that caused them to pit numerous times. The No. 66 GT finished seventh and the No. 67 GT finished ninth of 11 cars in the GTLM class. CONTENT FROM CHASE AUTO When Disaster Strikes Business disruptions can take many forms—from severe weather that brings an entire region to a standstill, to the unexpected illness of a key staff member, to a ransomware attack that locks up critical data. READ MORE "It was so emotional that this can't be happening," Rushbrook said. "But nobody blinked an eye, and that really cemented how strong the team was." Ford ran into trouble at subsequent races, including a crash at the 12 Hours of Sebring, but began to iron out its issues as the racing season continued. One of Rushbrook's favorite memories, he says, was the GT's first victory at Laguna Seca in May 2016. "It really made a statement to win that early in the program with a brand new car," he said. "What the team really needed was something to pick up their spirits and keep everybody fighting to go to Le Mans after that."