Ford retrace its steps to Sebring International
📷 © Luc Warnotte at ROLEX 24 at Daytona 2024. Three Ford Mustang GT3 in IMSA..
After a monumental maiden voyage that saw the all-new Mustang GT3 cross the start-finish line after 24 hard-fought hours in the iconic Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports retrace its steps to Sebring International Raceway – only to move forward in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Sebring was a pivotal testing site in the earlier developmental stages of Mustang GT3, and now the team will put test to track in the second round of intense series action.
Ford Multimatic Motorsports
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance at ROLEX 24 at Daytona 2024
#64 Mustang GT3
Harry Tincknell: "The majority of the Mustang GT3 testing took place at Sebring so that will give us a good base to start from, coupled with the learnings from Daytona. Sebring holds many fond memories for me, especially the outright win in 2020, which was one of Multimatic’s biggest wins. It’s very special to drive into the track and see your name on the winners’ board, alongside some of the biggest names from the history of our sport. It’s a unique circuit, which hasn’t changed a lot since the 1960s and it is brutal on the cars but that’s why we tested there so let’s see what happens this time around."
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance at ROLEX 24 at Daytona 2024
Mike Rockenfeller: "Sebring is one of my favorite tracks so I always look forward to this one. After the long race at Daytona and our recent test at Sebring we have so much more knowledge of the Mustang, which we can use going forward. It’s still going to be tough. You always need a little luck at Sebring and the goal is to have a clean race with no contact and take the maximum number of points that we can."
Chris Mies: "I really enjoy racing at Sebring. It’s an old school track with lots of bumps and it’s a tough race for the car and for the drivers. We want to go out there and give the Mustang GT3 the result it deserves. We finished the race at Daytona with no major issues, which is phenomenal for a brand new car and we have worked on the car since then. We expect to be in a better position at Sebring and I look forward to getting out there."
#65 Mustang GT3
Dirk Müller: "I was very proud of what we achieved at Daytona and excited to get to the next race. Sebring is so different; so harsh, such a hard race but I love it. We go there well-prepared and I think we will be in the mix. Everyone from Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports is working hard to find the sweet spot when setting the Mustang up for the bumps. I know it’s only our second race but we will go there focused on a top result. Sebring, we are coming for you!"
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance at ROLEX 24 at Daytona 2024
Joey Hand: “Sebring is where I first rolled out the car, and I feel reasonably confident in our baseline setup from all the testing we did there. I think we can build on that even more. It is one of those tracks that always produces a race, especially in the last hour when the race tends to end in a real dog fight. I always talk about the tracks with typography. You’d be surprised of what that track holds in 17 turns. It has some of the most high-speed sections we’ll run all year in Turn 1. It has hard braking and heavy acceleration zones. You’re using every bit of the car. Long straights and tight corners produce good racing, and it has so much character."
Frédéric Vervisch: "I’m very happy to be going into my second race with Ford. Sebring is a completely different track compared to Daytona. My first ever race in the U.S. was at Sebring in 2009 in Champ Car Atlantic, so the circuit holds some good memories for me. We’ve tested there since Daytona and made progress, so now I’m looking forward to my first Twelve Hours of Sebring."
Proton Competition #55 Mustang GT3
📷 Courtesy of Ford Performance at ROLEX 24 at Daytona 2024
Corey Lewis: "Sebring is personally one of my favorite tracks, and it is always a challenging race for the team and drivers. But knowing that Ford and Multimatic Motorsports have done most of their testing there, I feel that we will have a very competitive setup and will be able to fight for a strong result. Sebring is special because of the race's history. Also, there is no other track like it – the circuit has not been resurfaced and each bump shows the authenticity and history of the track. Personally, I love the fact that the circuit is so bumpy. I think that having track knowledge does give a small advantage on knowing how the attack the bumps."
Ryan Hardwick: "The team has been working very hard on our new Mustang GT3, and we drivers are very excited to be at Sebring. It is a track where Ford and Multimatic have done most of their pre-season testing, so we feel like Sebring is a track that is well suited for the Mustang. It’s one of my favorite tracks. I always enjoy going there and racing and the challenges it brings. Can’t wait to get out on track in Sebring in our new Proton Competition Mustang GT3."
Giammarco Levorato: "The Twelve Hours of Sebring is a historic race, it’s such an honor for me to have the chance to take part in this important race, right after another big race like Daytona. It will be a real test to improve more and more with this new Ford Mustang GT3. This car is simply amazing. We have to take everything we learnt in Daytona. Then I am sure we can do a great job in Sebring."
📷 © Luc Warnotte at ROLEX 24 at Daytona 2024. Both Ford Multimatic Ford Mustang GT3.
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