The new GT racing program has already proven a monumental success for the Blue Oval. So much so, in fact, that it has already extended its campaign through 2019.
After revealing its new supercar, Ford announced its intention to enter it in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship (then sponsored by Tudor and now by WeatherTech). It entered two cars in both series, taking a class win at Le Mans on the 50th anniversary of its original victory and numerous other accolades.
In addition to the 1-3-4 finish in the GTE Pro class at Le Mans just weeks ago, the Ford team also won at Laguna Seca and took a podium finish at Spa, both at the start of the season in May. Not bad for its first season, and both series are just halfway through their calendars.
Based on that early success, Ford has announced the extension of its competition in both series for another three seasons, and it could very well extend further after that.
In announcing the extension, Ford cited not only the opportunity to promote its brand, but also develop new technologies. “We are in motorsport to win races and championships,” said executive vice president Raj Nair, “but just as importantly we are using it to develop our engineering expertise and help develop advancements for production vehicles like EcoBoost engines, advanced aerodynamics and lightweight materials that consumers can use in Ford production vehicles going forward.”
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