MICHELIN FORD 2018 RACING USA FORD’S ROAD TO SUCCESS TAKING THE BIG WINS Chip Ganassi’s mantra is that “he sweet as they’d also delivered the Ford GT’s THE BREAKDOWN OF 200 It’s been a winner on both sides of the two combined with Sebastien Bourdais his experience, so we know what we need. likes winners.” At this year’s Rolex 24 At first win upon its entry into IMSA in 2016 at Still, it’s worth noting what his Atlantic, in nearly equal measure. to provide Ford a storybook ending to its Together with our engineer, he’s just giving Daytona, his team’s winning number hit a Laguna Seca. current six IMSA drivers – the four full- This year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona victory 50th anniversary race to try to match the us a perfect car. The whole combination is magical milestone. Now, they emerged ahead of their season drivers and two four-time IndyCar broke a five-five deadlock between the achievements of 1966. there. All four cars could have done it to be Chip Ganassi Racing captured its 200th teammates to hit the milestone. champion endurance race extras – have U.S. and U.K.-based pair of teams in the Only a Risi Ferrari in second prevented fair. It’s a team effort.” race win as a team at this year’s Rolex 24 At meant in terms of helping Ganassi’s team win counter, and secured the new Ford GT an outright podium sweep, as Ford finished Daytona. The trio of Ryan Briscoe, Richard NOT RESTING ON 200 hit that 200-win mark. its 11th worldwide victory in just over 24 1-3-4 in that race. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM Westbrook and Scott Dixon led a dominant Ganassi downplayed the 200th win Ganassi’s IndyCar team has done the months of competition. Then in 2017 it was Mueller’s pass of Dixon, who’s won 40 of his 41 IndyCar Ford GT 1-2 finish in the IMSA WeatherTech significance in the moment. lion’s share of winning with 103 victories. Briscoe and Westbrook are tied with the James Calado’s Risi Ferrari, then defense races for Ganassi and has added several SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans class “I think in terms of the 200 wins, I Sports cars are second with 56 wins, and U.K. team’s Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell against Patrick Pilet’s Porsche, to win the more on the sports car side, explained how season opener. think there’s a time and a place to talk Nascar is third with 39 wins. for four wins each with the Ford GT. Yet it’s Rolex 24 At Daytona and hold both 24-hour Ganassi has spread his wings to succeed in so This has been achieved in less than a about that,” he said. Ganassi first launched a Daytona been Briscoe and Westbrook’s teammates, classic titles concurrently. many different disciplines of the sport. 25-year period. Michael Andretti scored “Today, we’re the kind of team that we Prototype team in 2004 and ran that full- Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller, who’ve won Like his team boss, Mueller again “I think it’s everybody thrives on the Ganassi’s first win in the 1994 IndyCar race just focus on trying to do the best we can time through 2015. more of the marquee races. downplays the individual achievement to winning culture that this team has and in Surfers’ Paradise, Australia. today. In 2016, the Ford GT arrived as Ganassi focus on the team itself. they’ve definitely proven it in many ways, And in Daytona, ironically, the “And that’s how we approach every entered both IMSA’s ultra competitive THE FIRST NEW FORD LE “Joey and myself go a long ways back,” with Chip obviously across many different Australian driver in Briscoe took the day. Today’s win is about here at Daytona, GTLM class, and the FIA World Endurance MANS, DAYTONA WINS he said. “We’ve won a championship, we disciplines in auto racing,” he said. checkered flag. For the full-season pairing it’s about the Rolex. It’s about these three Championship’s similarly strong GTE-Pro Mueller’s pole lap at the 2016 24 Hours think the same way… and we’re friends, Whatever the series or car, Ganassi’s team in the No. 67 car, the win was particularly guys up here.” class. of Le Mans lives in the race’s lore, and the which is really rare. Factor in Seb and all has been a perennial winning machine. GANASSI 2200 3 BRISCOE & WESTY For Ryan Briscoe and Richard long-range fuel run, a great highlight or Team Penske in all but one of them Westbrook, a third season together as co- moment for Ford’s EcoBoost technology. in both IndyCar and sports cars (Ganassi drivers with the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Further IMSA wins at Watkins Glen in 2005, 2013, ’14, ’16, ’17 and ’18 and program has provided them a sense of and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park gave Penske from ’06 through ’12). stability. the No. 67 crew a three-race in a row win He scored Penske’s 300th race team streak, although the GT Le Mans class win in IndyCar at Milwaukee, 2008, and WHERE THEY WERE championship slipped away to their old now Ganassi’s 200th at the Rolex 24 At Briscoe was a staple of Team Penske’s team, Corvette. Daytona. IndyCar lineup from 2008 to 2012, but Briscoe and Westbrook endured a As such, he’s well versed in both bounced around between some IndyCar tough 2017 season with no wins, five cultures. In his third year with the Ford and some sports cars each of the next few podiums, and a fourth place finish in the Chip Ganassi program, Briscoe explained years. GTLM standings. how the team never stops growing with Briscoe won both Daytona and Sebring what is now a far more defined car. as a third driver with Corvette Racing in KICKING OFF 2018 RIGHT “I think there’s a general good 2015, but did not join its full-time lineup. Ford had a near perfect start to 2018 understanding of the car now,” Briscoe Westbrook starred with Porsche with Briscoe, Westbrook and Scott Dixon said. and GM before moving to Ford. With leading their teammates home in a Ford “Everything inside is really nice. I look the Spirit of Daytona Racing Daytona GT 1-2 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Briscoe back to the very first race we ran this car Prototype team, Westbrook won and Westbrook snapped a 16-race winless at. It was really good. We had gearbox regularly but always came up just short drought in their No. 67 Ford. issues a little bit in the race, but I thought at the major endurance races or season Despite running behind the No. 66 car the team had really good preparation for championships. most of the race, a strategic pit call for a as new as the program was. When they were paired together for shorter third-to-last stop netted the No. “Moving forward, general setup work 2016 under the Ganassi banner with the 67 car the advantage to move ahead. is done quicker, so we learn more in a new Ford GT, it brought them closer to Briscoe added this Rolex win to his shorter period of time when we come to reaching that common goal of achieving 2015 triumph, while for Westbrook, this the race.” the results they desired as a full-season win was his first in 12 tries at Daytona. With the lineup, the car and the team pairing without the uncertainty of not “It was just an amazing 24-hour race being known quantities to these two as knowing what came next. for us. Racing with your teammates, you they enter their third year together, Briscoe know, they’re our friends and racing that said there’s less to evolve year-on-year. WHAT THEY’VE DONE hard for 24 hours,” Westbrook said. “Every year things change. This year TOGETHER “It did require something from the we’re on a slightly different Michelin tire What they’ve done for Ford and pit crew, and our side of the garage did a from last year,” he explained. Ganassi in their first two years has indeed great job and they can take a lot of credit “You’re always evolving to change provided waves of optimism. for this win.” in motorsports. It’s not the same as three A challenging Rolex 24 At Daytona years ago. You’re always striving for more debut hampered early by gearbox issues BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF in motorsport and onto the next thing. It opened up a chance to practice new THE WHOLE never gets easy.” fuel saving strategies the rest of the Briscoe is well regarded in both the Removing the major variables race. IndyCar and IMSA paddocks for his ability of change though has helped both That paid dividends when to give excellent feedback. Westbrook and Briscoe as they look to Westbrook brought home the Ford GT’s In his 14 years racing in North America, ascend to the top of GTLM not just for a first win in Laguna Seca in May on a he’s raced for either Chip Ganassi Racing race or two, but also for a full year. 4 5 Chosen by the Best, for Their Best The last time Joey Hand and Dirk same way… and we’re friends, which is Mueller spent a third season as co-drivers, really rare,” Mueller laughs.