The full breadth of the Ford Mustang sports car racing portfolio will be on display, May 1 – 3, during the IMSA Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The Mustang GT3, GT4, and Dark Horse R are scheduled to compete across various series, representing the pinnacle of Ford Racing’s customer and factory racing programs at one of North America’s most iconic venues.
The Ford Mustang is the world’s best selling sports car and one of its most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke regional one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 39 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more about Mustang at www.FordRacing.com.
FAST FACTS
- A total of 26 Ford Mustangs are represented across three IMSA-sactioned series – WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge and Mustang Challenge.
- Ford Raptor is now the Official Truck of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. This partnership unites two of the most formidable names in performance, bringing Raptor’s desert-conquering power to the heart of California’s racing heritage.
- The all-new Ford GT captured its first-ever global victory at Laguna Seca in May 2016. Drivers Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook won the GTLM class for the No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team, securing the first win for the new Ford GT platform following a strategic fuel-mileage race.
- In 1970, Parnelli Jones famously drove his Bud Moore Boss 302 from the back of the pack to a dominant Laguna Seca victory, nearly lapping the entire field.
- In 1969, George Follmer campaigned the striking red No. 16 Bud Moore Boss 302 during Laguna Seca’s inaugural Trans-Am race, which is commemorated on the Myers Riley Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3.
DRIVER QUOTES
DENNIS OLSEN, No. 64 Ford Racing Mustang GT3 – “Sebring was a good example of a perfect execution by the team and all the drivers. Hopefully we can carry this into Laguna Seca and have a strong weekend there and just keep collecting points. It will be exciting to see how the evolution of the Mustang GT3 will work there.”
BEN BARKER, No. 64 Ford Racing Mustang GT3 – “I’m a Laguna Seca rookie so I’m really excited to be going there. I’ve driven it so many times on computer games so it will be fun to get out there in the Mustang GT3, for real this time. We’ll be looking to continue our strong showing from Sebring and collect some decent points.”
FRÉDÉRIC VERVISCH, No. 65 Ford Racing Mustang GT3 – “Laguna Seca was a very challenging race for us last year so I’m looking forward to going back there. Hopefully with the evolution we can really make a difference and get a great result for the Mustang GT3.”
CHRISTOPHER MIES, No. 65 Ford Racing Mustang GT3 – “Laguna is an iconic track, situated in a cool place, so it will be good to go and race our Mustang GT3 in California again. It was probably our toughest track last year so I hope the changes to the Mustang will give us a much better chance at Laguna. It would be good if we could go there and make things happen.”
JAKE WALKER, No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3 – "We were in the hunt for a podium at Long Beach before getting taken out late in the race, and the Mustang GT3 was competitive all weekend thanks to Ford Racing and Gradient Racing. The team has been executing flawlessly over the past few races, and it feels like we just need a bit of luck to put it all together. Gradient has been incredible to work with, and we’re focused on delivering a good result this weekend.”
COREY LEWIS, No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3 – “I’m looking forward to carrying the momentum we built in Long Beach into Laguna Seca. We’ve been operating at a really high level, and while Laguna has been a challenging track for us historically, there’s a strong sense of determination to change that narrative this year. It’s one of my favorite stops on the calendar, and we’re ready to make the most of it.”
SHEENA MONK, No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Mustang GT3 – “Laguna is always a track that I want a strong result at for personal reasons but as a team, we are approaching the weekend with our continued long-game mindset. I believe the new Evo kit for the Mustang GT3 will help mitigate some prior challenges at Laguna Seca. Regardless, Felipe and I, as well as the entire Myers Riley team, are fully focused on maximizing the package we have. I think we did a solid job of that in our previous outing and I look forward to making further strides in the Akin Championship as well as the full season standings."
FELIPE FRAGA, No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Mustang GT3 – “I’m happy to be in Laguna with the team. I think we had a great improvement in Long Beach, and we need to carry that momentum forward to keep scoring important points. I can’t wait to drive the Mustang at such an iconic track.”
