Ford Racing and customer partner Proton Competition return to home soil this weekend (4-6 September) for round five of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, the Lone Star Le Mans at COTA, where the team is on the hunt for a podium spot.
As the only WEC round held on American soil this season, USA-born Logan Sargeant and Eric Powell both get to race in front of the home fans for the first time this year, giving the Ford Mustang GT3 program extra incentive heading into the weekend.
The 3.4-mile, 20-turn COTA circuit already holds a special place in the team's history. It was at this race last year that Ford Racing claimed its first-ever Hyperpole, a breakthrough qualifying result that underlined the growing pace of the Mustang GT3 program and one the team will be looking to build on this time around.
The No. 88 Ford Mustang GT3 will once again be shared by Logan Sargeant, Stefano Gattuso and Giammarco Levorato, while the No. 77 car will be piloted by Seb Priaulx, Ben Tuck and Eric Powell. Both crews arrive in Austin with real momentum behind them.
Ford Racing's confidence heading to Austin is rooted firmly in what the team showed in Brazil at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo. Proton Competition delivered a strong performance in Brazil, with the team showing strong pace throughout the race weekend and earning a top-five finish in the LMGT3 class and both cars showed genuine winning pace.
With genuine race-winning speed shown in Brazil and at Spa plus two home drivers in the lineup, Ford Racing arrives at COTA with one clear target: a spot on the LMGT3 podium.
Lone Star Le Mans Schedule
*All Times Local
Friday 4 September
- 11:30 Free Practice 1
- 16:00 Free Practice 2
Saturday 5 September
- 11:00 Free Practice 3
- 15:00 Qualifying
Sunday 6 September
- 13:00 6 Hours of COTA
DRIVER QUOTES:
Logan Sargeant: “Fortunately Brazil was a huge turnaround for us and it was good to get to São Paulo and to really be able to fight at the front. We are going in the right direction and the goal for COTA is to build on that progress we made last time out and hopefully pick up a podium. I have a lot of home support and that’s amazing to see – I’m looking forward to seeing a bunch of fans at our home race.”
Eric Powell: “This first year racing internationally has been incredible, but I am very much looking forward to getting back on home soil for both me and Ford. COTA is the only track on the WEC calendar that I have prior experience with, so having that familiarity is a huge plus. I’ve only done a few races in USA this year, so getting a great result here is high on my list. We’ve had some real highlights in recent rounds and we hope to continue that momentum."
Sebastian Priaulx: “I haven't been to Austin for a while so I’m looking forward to getting back to home soil for Ford and excited to see what we can do. We’ve been performing better these last couple of races, and I think we're due a podium soon. I love racing in America. I think the tracks out there are amazing.”
Ben Tuck: “COTA… I’m looking forward to a chance at redemption from last year! In 2025 we led for most of the race but narrowly missed out in the final 10 minutes in mixed conditions on track. I’d love to put that right this year and finally get that first win for the Mustang in WEC!”
Giammarco Levorato: “It’s great to finally be back on track after the summer break. The motivation is extremely high as this will be the home race for Ford Racing, and our Ford Mustang GT3 showed really strong pace at the last round in São Paulo. COTA is a track I really enjoy, and it holds a special memory for me after taking the Ford Mustang’s first ever pole position in WEC there last year. We’ll give our best and hopefully put on a great show for our home fans.”
Stefano Gattuso: “We are at the halfway point in the season and COTA is a very important race being the home event for the team. Last year we got the first Hyperpole for the Mustang GT3 in the WEC and for this reason we are very motivated and think we will have a good opportunity to this year to come back strong in qualifying. We still have the possibility to gain a lot of positions in the championship so we will stay very focused and push very hard for having a great result for all of us.”
