Tag: Multimatic

Ford shuffles GTD PRO driver line-up for 2025 IMSA season

Ford Multimatic Motorsports will have a radically different driver line-up for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, with only Mike Rockenfeller held over from the 2024 full-season group. Ford factory drivers Christopher Mies and …

Ford Multimatic Motorsports will have a radically different driver line-up for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, with only Mike Rockenfeller held over from the 2024 full-season group. Ford factory drivers Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch will pilot the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3, while Multimatic driver Seb Priaulx, who scored two victories with AO Racing in GTD PRO in 2024, will join Rockenfeller in the No. 65.

“Race drivers are the key differentiator in the battle for success on the track,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, in a blog post. “At Ford, our drivers are more than competitors; they’re family. This sense of camaraderie makes decisions about our roster challenging and deeply personal. After closing out our debut IMSA season with the Mustang GT3 a month ago, the Ford Multimatic Motorsports team is focused on the 2025 season. This week we will be running at the traditional Daytona Test ahead of the first big race of 2025 and introducing our driver line-up — a blend of experience, youth, and exceptional talent.”

Mies and Vervisch were the endurance additions for Ford Multimatic Motorsports in 2024. They replace Joey Hand and Dirk Muller.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be in IMSA full-time,” said Mies. “I got a taste of the Mustang GT3 in this series during the endurance races, and we had some good results. The dream is now a reality. I’m looking forward to competing alongside Fred [Vervisch], who I’ve known for a long time. We know the team and car, so I’m excited to compete in this championship.”

Vervisch added: “It’s a big honor to be racing on the factory program in the No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3. Ford and Multimatic Motorsports have given so much trust in me, which means a lot. I will do everything I can, alongside Christopher and the entire team, to deliver results.”

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Priaulx, who did half the season with AO Racing before being called away to fulfill his duties with Multimatic, takes the place of Harry Tincknell alongside Rockenfeller.

“Multimatic Motorsports has been my home since Larry [Holt] gave me a chance in the Mustang during the 2019 season, so it’s nice to be back where I started in GT racing,” explained Priaulx. “I have experience competing in this championship, and I think we’ll bring a strong package into this upcoming year.”

For the endurance races, Ford Multimatic Motorsports called upon its WEC drivers. Dennis Olsen will join Mies and Vervisch, while Ben Barker will race with Rockenfeller and Priaulx.

Rushbrook offered appreciation for the drivers who helped develop the Mustang GT3 and raced it in its debut season.

“Race teams are always evolving in order to drive success forward and this infusion of fresh talent will accelerate the performance of Mustang GT3,” he said. “With these driver line-up changes, I wanted to talk about this year’s drivers: Joey Hand, Dirk Muller, and Harry Tincknell. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Joey, Dirk, and Harry for their invaluable contribution to the Mustang GT3’s journey. Their unrivaled expertise has been essential to the development of the Mustang GT3 and the hours they put in, pounding around race tracks across the US laid the groundwork for this race program. Joey and Dirk will always be special to Ford as they won Le Mans for us in 2016, and while they may not be in our IMSA squad this season, you certainly haven’t seen the last of them. In fact, you’ll soon hear more about Dirk’s latest endeavors.”

The Mustang GT3 had some struggles in its first races as the team discovered some issues running with other cars that didn’t occur in testing. As the season progressed, the Mustang GT3 developed some pace and the No. 64 found the podium on a couple of occasions with Rockenfeller and Tincknell, possibly setting the tone for success in the car’s sophomore season.

“I’m in my second year now with Ford Multimatic Motorsports after a good first year of learning and developing the car,” said Rockenfeller. “A lot of work has been done by the team since, and we’re quickly into 2025. We’re excited and motivated going into the second season of this program with Mustang GT3, and we are hopeful that we can start on the right foot at Daytona.”

Ford Multimatic Motorsports is one of the teams participating in the IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

Ford’s progress beginning to click with the Mustang GT3

There’s little arguing that the inaugural season of the new Ford Mustang GT3 hasn’t, to this point, met expectations. Ford engaged longtime partner Multimatic to build its first real GT3 car, as well as run the team in GTD PRO. There have been …

There’s little arguing that the inaugural season of the new Ford Mustang GT3 hasn’t, to this point, met expectations. Ford engaged longtime partner Multimatic to build its first real GT3 car, as well as run the team in GTD PRO. There have been flashes of speed and some results where Ford Multimatic Motorsports overcame a lack of pace to give the car a decent result, but overall there hasn’t been any real bright spots.

But this weekend at VIRginia International Raceway, the program certainly looks like it has turned a corner. Not only did the Mustangs have pace, they executed and produced the results. In qualifying for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, round nine of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and also the lone GT-only race of the season, not only did the two GTD PRO cars qualify third and fourth, but Giammarco Levorato captured the pole for GTD in the Proton Competition Mustang GT3 he shares with Corey Lewis. Although that pole position didn’t produce a victory, the PRO cars finished second and fourth, with Harry Tincknell and Mike Rockenfeller scoring their first podium in the No. 64 Mustang.

“It’s another advancement for the Mustang,” said Tincknell. “It’s been super strong. It earned the GTD pole yesterday with customer team Proton Competition and the first podium for us today in GTD PRO. I think every race we’re learning. It’s a brand new car this year. We’re taking giant leaps.

“I’ve just gradually got better, and this has been coming for a while. We led the race for a long while at Watkins Glen [International], but it didn’t quite work out. We were second in Mosport [Canadian Tire Motorsport Park], but didn’t quite get the podium there. The last time we were at Road America, we had some strong pace as well. It’s a huge credit to the boys and girls who are working on the car every day. We’re still finding so much in the electronics and modes. We’re racing against cars that have been out there – some seven or eight years. Of course, our learning curve is huge, but it feels great to be here. It’ll be even better when we’re one step higher. A second-place finish is fantastic, but having the No. 65 finish fourth to back it up was even better.”

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“It started this morning when [Ford Multimatic Motorsports team principal] Larry [Holt] had a meeting with all us drivers,” explained Joey Hand, driver of the No. 65 with Dirk Mueller. “He said, ‘Today’s the day that we’re going to execute.’ That’s what we did. In the background, we’ve been getting all the details right – like great pit stops, which we had again today. There is going to come a time when it all comes together. This time, we tested here and rolled off the trailer well. We kept improving on the car and qualified well. We tend to race better every race, and that’s what we did.”

Rockenfeller qualified the No. 64 fifth at Road America, but contact on the first lap and a subsequent penalty put paid to any chances of a good result. Sunday at VIR likely went a long way to erasing that memory. Granted, Tincknell and Rockenfeller had some help from a penalty for the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, but even without that they were headed for a podium finish.

“Firstly, thanks to Multimatic Motorsports and Ford Performance,” said Rockenfeller. “It’s my first podium with the team. I’m really happy. Thanks to Harry. He’s done a great job all year long. Obviously, [Road America] was on me and I thought we had a really good chance there, but we moved on and it feels good. For the restart, I was checking more in the mirror because the Aston [Martin] boys were really fast. We could see that. My goal was really to stay in second. If there would have been a chance [at the lead], I would have loved to take the opportunity. It looked like the [Paul Miller Racing] BMW had it under control all race long. We’re quite happy to take this second place right now. A big credit to the team, because for us drivers, it’s frustrating for us not to be successful, but definitely for Ford, the mechanics and the team, I can only imagine what a relief it is for everybody.”

Whether the Mustang GT3 was just really good at VIR, or if the improvements are real and substantial, will be revealed in three weeks. The team is feeling confident that this is the start of more good things to come as the series heads to its final two races, a six-hour race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

“I think we were discussing before that we thought Indy would be a good one,” Tincknell said. “The fact that we’ve got tests before both, I think that’s only going to help us. But I can say, I think every race we’ve just improved improved, improved a little bit, so we’d love to get that first win this year and go into [the] offseason buoyant. I think all the boys and girls on the car really deserve it for the amount of hours they put in [on] weekends, and obviously the backing from Ford as well has been unbelievable. It’s a family company, and it’s amazing to have Bill and Edsel [Ford] and Jim Fry, the CEO, really supporting us and being behind us all the way, and they’re encouraging us all the time. That first win is just around the corner, and it’s going to be special for them too.”