Ford GT 2017

[RickardEM]

En bra helg för GT gänget igen, en 3:e och 4:e plats på Spa-Franchorchamps får anses som lyckat.

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Takes Podium Finish at Spa

• #66 Ford GT finishes the WEC 6 Hours of Spa on the podium in third place
• #67 Ford recovers from an early race issue to take fourth place at the chequered flag

SPA, Belgium, May 6, 2017 – The GTE Pro cars came in two-by-two at the legendary Spa-Franchorchamps circuit in Belgium today. This time it was Ferrari that took the win and second place, closely followed by two Ford GTs in third and fourth, then two Porsches and two Aston Martins.

It was the #66 Ford GT crew of Stefan Mücke (GER), Olivier Pla (FRA) and Billy Johnson (US) that stood on the podium after six hours of hard racing. After starting the race in second place they looked like strong contenders for the win with Pla enjoying a close fight with the sister Ford GT of Harry Tincknell (GB) and the two Ferraris in the opening stages. Johnson suffered at the hands of an LMP2 car that spun him around on his out lap and was later penalised for doing so and ultimately an unfortunately timed Full Course Yellow put paid to the #66 crew’s fight for the win.

“We had a really good fight with the Ferraris at the beginning of the race today,” said Pla. “Unfortunately I lost a position when I got stuck in traffic through Eau Rouge but there was nothing I could do. Because of this we decided to stay on the same set of tyres for the second half of my double stint, which wasn’t easy as the track was still very green. It wasn’t so bad in the end as we took third place, despite losing time with a Full Course Yellow, and we weren’t too far from the Ferraris.”

The charge of the #67 Ford GT was delayed by a fuel priming issue in the first pit stop. Tincknell pitted from second place but as he re-joined the race he found himself with no power on the run down to Eau Rouge. The team quickly identified a fuel priming issue, whereby the car has run so low on fuel it needs to be ‘primed’ before continuing in the race. After some swift instructions from his race engineer, Tincknell fixed the issue and was back on full power but at the back of the pack. After Tincknell started the fightback, Pipo Derani (BRA) jumped in, followed by Andy Priaulx (GB) who took the #67 Ford GT to the flag.

“When you look back I think it was a strong race for us,” said Derani. “We had an issue in the first pit stop, which put us all the way to the back of the pack but we had a great recovery. We finished on the lead lap, not too far behind the first three cars, which I think was a great team effort. For me personally it was good to get another GT race under my belt, to learn more about the tyres, the car and the team. I really enjoyed my double stint and now I can’t wait for Le Mans.

Today’s result means that the crew of the #67 Ford GT hold on to the lead in the Drivers’ World Championship, but Ford slips behind Ferrari so the fight for honours at Le Mans looks set to be even fiercer than in 2016.

Never a man to be happy with third place, Multimatic Vice-President Larry Holt summed up the thoughts of the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team after the race.

“I’m never happy if we don’t win,” said Holt. “In reality we had a problem with both cars. We had the fuel issue with the #67 at the first stop and unfortunately #66 was in the pits when the Full Course Yellow happened which probably cost us around 40 seconds. Without those two issues I think you would have seen two Fords and two Ferraris battling it out for the win.

“P1 and P4 at Silverstone and P3 and P4 here at Spa racks up the points and proves that we can be competitive with Ferrari going into Le Mans. Before we had our issues it was a great race so if you want to see another great Ford vs Ferrari battle at Le Mans it’s looking pretty good.”

The next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship is the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours.

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[RickardEM]

Ett litet filmklipp från helgen.



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

Ford GT i siffror.

\Rickard

[RickardEM]

En liten filmsnutt som jämför den gamla GT:n som kom 2005 och den nya.



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

GT:n är inte bara snygg, den har en hel del intressant teknik också som förhoppningsvis letar sig in i vanliga bilar.

Nya Ford GT banar väg för nya teknologier

Nya Ford GT.

När Ford tog fram nya, högpresterande Ford GT fokuserade ingenjörerna inte bara på att bygga en modell som skulle kunna vinna lopp, de ville även bygga en bil som kunde utgöra en testbädd för ny teknik och idéer för framtida Ford-modeller.

– Vi hade tre mål när vi började arbeta med nya Ford GT år 2013. Det första målet var att kunna använda den som en testmodell där våra ingenjörer skulle få chansen att utveckla framtida motorer och bredda sin förståelse kring aerodynamik. Vi ville också använda bilen för att testa nya lättviktsmaterial som kolfibrer. Dessutom ville vi vinna Le Mans 24 timmar, säger Raj Nair, Fords vice vd och produktutvecklingschef.

Samlade flera arbetsgrupper i Ford Performance
Vid framtagningen av GT-modellen samlade Ford flera av sina prestandateam, som Ford SVT, Team RS, Ford Racing och teamet för prestandakomponenter och licensering, vilka då bildade en ny enhet kallad Ford Performance.

– Utan denna typ av teamarbete, med en mix av kompetenser, skulle det ha varit omöjligt att leverera nya Ford GT i sin nuvarande form. Denna typ av samarbete var avgörande både för att kunna skapa modellen och för att kunna experimentera oss fram och hitta nya innovationer, vilket behövs för att skapa den ultimata superbilen, säger Dave Pericak, global direktör för Ford Performance.

En superbil att räkna med
Nya Ford GT lanserades första gången 2015 vid North America International Auto Show och beskrevs redan då som en riktig superbil. Modellen har därefter satt en helt ny standard när det kommer till prestanda, bland annat genom avancemang inom aerodynamik, den effektiva EcoBoost-motorn och lösningar för att minska bilens totalvikt.

\Rickard

[RickardEM]

En till video som jämför den nya och den gamla GT:n.



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

En ägare som berättar mer om bilen och upplevelserna runt omkring.



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

Jay Leno har naturligtvis en GT!



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

Man tillkännagav idag att Tony Kanaan ersätter Sébastien Bourdais som råkade ut för en riktigt otäck olycka under kvalet till Indy 500, Kanaan kommer att köra bil nummer 68 under Le Mans 24-timmarsloppet.

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Driver Tony Kanaan to Join Joey Hand and Dirk Müller at Le Mans 24 Hours

• Tony Kanaan to join No. 68 Ford GT team at Le Mans 24 Hours
• Kanaan will replace Sébastien Bourdais, who was injured during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500
• Kanaan has significant seat time in Ford GT, having competed in the Rolex 24 in January
• Le Mans 24 will be his first race at the Circuit de la Sarthe

DEARBORN, Mich., May 31, 2017 – INDYCAR champion and Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Tony Kanaan will join drivers Joey Hand and Dirk Müller in Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 68 Ford GT at the Le Mans 24 Hours next month as the team looks to defend its 2016 GTE Pro Class victory. The Brazilian fills the seat left vacant by Sébastien Bourdais, who was injured during qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. This will be Kanaan’s first Le Mans 24.
“We’re very pleased we are able to get a driver of Tony’s experience and talent in the No. 68 Ford GT for the Le Mans 24,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “It’s certainly not the ideal situation and we’re heartbroken that Sébastien won’t be back to defend his race victory, since we know how much that race means to him personally. He is an important part of our family, and we look forward to him making a complete recovery.”
It’s the first time Hand and Müller will share a car with Kanaan, who won the overall title at the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Scott Dixon, Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson in a Ford EcoBoost prototype in 2015.
Kanaan, 42, who signed with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2014, has spent significant time in the Ford GT this year. He led laps in the No. 69 Ford GT at the Rolex 24, where he joined fulltime drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell to finish fifth in GTLM.
Kanaan spent just over seven hours, 30 minutes in the No. 69 Ford GT during the race alone and was the third-quickest driver in the category, behind Ganassi teammates Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe.
“It’s an honor to be named a part of the Ford GT lineup for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing at the Le Mans 24,” Kanaan said. “It’s obviously an unfortunate situation that brought us to this point with Sébastien’s injuries, but I’m going to do my best to take his place and try to help win this amazing race for the team again this year. This race has definitely been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m thankful that Chip and our partners at Ford have given me this opportunity.”
Kanaan joins Ganassi INDYCAR teammate Scott Dixon on the Le Mans 24 Hours lineup. Kanaan won the 2013 Indianapolis 500, won the INDYCAR championship title in 2004, and is a 17-time race winner. He has competed at the Rolex 24 At Daytona every year since joining the team. He is the all-time INDYCAR leader for consecutive starts with 265, dating back to the Portland 2001. This year is his 20th season racing fulltime.

The green flag drops for the Le Mans 24 Hours on June 17.

\Rickard

[RickardEM]

Jack Roush har fått sin GT levererad, ska bli spännande att se om det dyker upp några spännande uppgraderingar därifrån.



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

Vi håller tummarna att man lyckas minst lika bra i år!

Fords racingteam siktar på att försvara sin titel vid Le Mans 24 timmar

Ford GT vid Le Mans.

Om nio dagar är det dags för Ford Chip Ganassi att försvara sin förstaplats vid legendariska Le Mans 24 timmar. Ford deltar med fyra stycken Ford GT, en bil som var ny vid förra årets race. Sedan dess har bilen levererat ännu fler resultat, exempelvis i FIA World Endurance Championship och Weather Tech SportsCar Championship. De fyra bilarna kommer att tävla i GTE Pro-klassen.

Fords Le Mans-vinst 2016 var historisk, då teamet vann exakt 50 år efter den kända 1-2-3-segern 1966. De andra tre bilarna kom trea, fyra och nia, alla i GTE Pro-klassen. Nu är det snart dags igen för Ford Chip Ganassi-teamet att anta det utmanande racet vid Le Mans, som håller på i hela 24 timmar.

– Ford GT visar upp Ford från sin allra bästa sida. Vinsten förra året betydde mycket för många av våra Ford-medarbetare världen över, som kände en stolthet över Ford som företag och det vi står för. Att vi tog hem förstaplatsen visar att vi kan åstadkomma otroliga saker när vi går samman och tänjer på gränserna när det kommer till teknik och innovation. Det ska bli väldigt spännande att nu komma tillbaka och försvara vår titel, säger Bill Ford, styrelseordförande i Ford Motor Company och sonsonsson till Henry Ford.

Fyra GT kommer kämpa om förstaplatsen
Bil nummer 68, förra årets vinnare, kommer köras av Joey Hand, Dirk Müller och Tony Kanaan, som ersätter den skadade Sébastien Bourdais. Nummer 69 körs av Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook och Scott Dixon. Det är samma trio som även de hamnade på podiumet 2016. I nummerr 67 hittar vi Andy Priaulx, Harry Tincknell och Pipo Derani, som fick en tuff start förra året på grund av växellådeproblem. Nummerr 66 körs av Stefan Mücke, Oliver Pla och Billy Johnson, som kammade hem en fjärdeplats i fjol.

De fyra Ford GT-bilarna är försedda med de karaktäristiska färgerna rött, vitt och blått, men för att det ska bli lättare att skilja bilarna åt har Ford-teamet stripat nummer 66 med grönt, nummer 67 med blått, nummer 68 med rött och nummer 69 med gult. När mörkret faller kommer även respektive färg synas på backspeglarna som målats med elektroluminiscent färg som lyser i ett glödande sken.

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[Granworth]

tjo

och nu är vi igång joho.... äntligen :)

nu e de bara HEJA FORD GT 40... hela vägen till imorgon kl 1500 ...

trots MER VIKT och mindre restriktor till " fläktarna "...

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[RickardEM]

tjo

och nu är vi igång joho.... äntligen :)

nu e de bara HEJA FORD GT 40... hela vägen till imorgon kl 1500 ...

trots MER VIKT och mindre restriktor till " fläktarna "...

//

Missade tyvärr racet, verkar ha varit riktigt spännande!

Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Grabs Last Gasp Second Place in GTE Pro at Le Mans 24 Hours

• #67 Ford GT takes second in GTE Pro at the Le Mans 24 Hours in thrilling finish
• Marks second year in a row that Ford Chip Ganassi Racing has made the podium at the legendary event
• The podium earned the #67 team double points toward the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship title

LE MANS, France, June 18, 2017 – The #67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT of Andy Priaulx (GB), Harry Tincknell (GB), and Pipo Derani (BRA) grabbed the runner-up spot in the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours at the end of the final lap. Last minute struggles for the second-placed Corvette gave Tincknell the opportunity to pounce and take the place just as the chequered flag fell.

In a door-to-door battle of manufacturers through the full 24-hours, the #67 crew that won the FIA World Endurance Championship season-opener at Silverstone proved their mettle once again with strong strategy and an incredible effort from the entire team.

“That was an amazing race,” Priaulx said. “It was a faultless race with faultless pit stops. These guys (the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team) deserve a medal as yet again they have risen to the challenge. It was a gruelling race; we had to fight through every lap, every pit stop, every moment of the 24 hours. Everything had to be perfect and it was. Watching Harry at the end was nail-biting so when we saw the Corvette appear in Harry’s sights we knew he would get the job done and take second.”

All four Ford GTs finished the Le Mans 24 Hours, which was one of the most brutal 24-hour races at the Circuit de la Sarthe for many years. Last year’s race-winning #68 Ford GT came home in sixth place, followed by the #69 car in seventh and the #66 in tenth place.

“Wow, what a race,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “It was a tough one, but everyone stuck with it. This proves that you have to stick with it right until the very end. To take second place on our second time here is amazing. First is always best but we’ll take this because it’s a great result for this team. It was huge for us in the WEC championship so it’s not just a great finish, but it’s also great for the championship we want to win this year.”

All four of the team’s Ford GTs showed promise early, leading laps at the 14km/8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe. Then, as dusk fell, the challenges came quickly and with little warning.

The #66 Ford GT was leading the category four hours in with Billy Johnson (US) behind the wheel after Stefan Mücke (GER) started eighth, but 10 hours later a rear suspension problem sent their team-mate Olivier Pla (FRA) into the gravel and the #66 to the back of the pack.

The #68 struggled in qualifying and lined up 12th on the grid. Although it led briefly thanks to a charge by Dirk Müller (GER) and showed pace, a series of pit lane challenges kept the team from showing its real promise.

“Congratulations to the #67 crew for a fantastic second-place finish,” Müller said. “We know how it feels to make it on to the podium. It’s a good feeling. We were hit with so many things during the race. Joey did a good job and definitely Tony Kanaan. (Adding him to the lineup) was such a rush. We arrived here on Tuesday morning and from that moment on it all went so fast. He gave everything for us and we made a good team.”

Kanaan, who competed at this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona with Tincknell and Priaulx, made an easy transition into the car at Le Mans.

Of the two full-time IMSA SportsCar Championship cars (#68 and #69), it was #69 that really showed promise going into race day. It qualified highest among the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs in fifth place and although starting driver Richard Westbrook reported understeer, still appeared to be a podium contender. It wasn’t long, though, before the #69 had to pit to fix a tail lamp issue – a problem that would resurface again the next day and hinder the progress of Westbrook, Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon.

The next race for the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team is in two weeks’ time at Watkins Glen in the U.S.

[RickardEM]

Ford kommer med GT:n till Goodwood Festival of Speed, här är en liten teaser.



\Rickard

[RickardEM]

Ett par filmsnuttar från Le Mans 2017, en från själva racet och 2 där Ken Block testar den nya GT:n på banan (tråkigt jobb han har ).





\Rickard