GOODWOOD, U.K., June 23, 2016 – The #66 Ford GT race car today swapped the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe race track in Le Mans, France, for the world-famous Hillclimb course at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, U.K.
Representing Ford’s victorious team at the Le Mans 24 Hours race on June 18-19, the #66 Ford GT race car made its Goodwood Hillclimb debut driven by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Dirk Müller – one of the drivers of the race-winning #68 car – and Marino Franchitti.
The #68 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT took 2016 Le Mans victory in the LM GTE Pro category exactly 50 years after Ford recorded an historic 1‑2‑3 victory at the iconic endurance race in 1966. The #69 Ford GT finished in third place, and the #66 and #67 Ford GTs finished in fourth and ninth places respectively.
“Last weekend the Ford GT made history again and won at the Le Mans 24 Hours race. It was an amazing statement about our passion for performance and innovation,” said Jim Farley, chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe. “This weekend, Goodwood will be the perfect venue for us to share our full Ford Performance line-up – from the new Fiesta ST200 all the way up to the Ford GT race car fresh from Le Mans – with so many people who share our passion.”
Ford also is joined at Goodwood by rallycross driver, Internet superstar and Ford Focus RS development consultant Ken Block, driving his unique Ford Fiesta ST RX43 with 650 PS up the Hillclimb.
World champion drifter and Professional Fun-Haver Vaughn Gittin Jr. will tackle the 1.16-mile (1.9-kilometre) Hillclimb course in a supercharged Ford Mustang RTR; and racing driver Ben Collins – formerly “The Stig” on the BBC’s “Top Gear” – will demonstrate the new Ford F-150 Raptor, the ultimate high-performance off-road pickup.
Visitors to the performance-themed Ford stand at Goodwood will discover models including the acclaimed all-new Focus RS, which last year made its U.K. public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; the Ford Mustang fastback and convertible; Focus ST; and the multi-award-winning Fiesta ST and new 200 PS Fiesta ST200.
Also on show is the new Ford ST-Line range of Ford Performance-inspired models, including the Fiesta ST-Line, Focus ST-Line, and the new Mondeo ST-Line making its public debut.
Ford GT Le Mans race car
This year Ford is running two Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs in the FIA World Endurance Championship and two in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. All four Ford GT race cars competed for GTE Pro class glory at the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours.
The #68 Ford GT crossed the finish line at Le Mans at three o’clock on Sunday, June 19, as the overall GT winner after a titanic battle with the #82 Ferrari that rekindled a 50-year-old rivalry between the two car manufacturers. The #68 Ford GT took the lead for the final time in the 20th hour of the race.
The #66 Ford GT was in contention for a top result during the race’s infancy before suffering a small electrical problem, and returns to competitive action in the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship at the 6 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany, on July 24.
All four Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs feature a lightweight carbon/aluminium chassis, carbon fibre body panels and a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine delivering 500 PS and 500 Nm of torque.
The Ford GT race car is based on the new Ford GT supercar – the most advanced Ford production vehicle ever, featuring the latest in light-weighting, aerodynamics and EcoBoost engine technology, and an innovation showcase for the Ford brand.
Ken Block’s Fiesta STRX43
The Ford Fiesta ST RX43 earlier this year starred as Block’s hero car in the eighth instalment of his Internet-based Gymkhana stunt driving video series that has received well over 300 million views combined.
Block’s Fiesta ST RX43 is designed to deliver rapid acceleration and can hit 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standing start in 1.8 seconds using a highly-tuned 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine that produces 650 PS and 900 Nm of torque.
Ready to Rock Mustang
The Ford Mustang RTR (Ready to Rock) is the brainchild of World Champion drifter and Professional Fun-Haver Vaughn Gittin Jr., and delivers 735 PS from a supercharged V8 engine.
Other modifications to the Ford Mustang RTR include a lowered, adjustable suspension system; stiffer anti-roll bars; “snowflake” design alloy wheels; and an aggressively-styled body kit featuring prominent silver grille nostrils, a new front air-splitter, side-skirt and rear diffuser combination, and a taller boot lid spoiler.
Fearless, ferocious and fun: F-150 Raptor bares its teeth
Driven up the Hillclimb course by racing driver and former “The Stig” Ben Collins, the all-new Ford F‑150 Raptor features a high-strength, military-grade, aluminium alloy body that makes it approximately a quarter of a tonne lighter than its predecessor.
The F-150 Raptor is powered by an all-new, second-generation 3.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine and features a purpose-built high-strength steel chassis, long-travel suspension that includes FOX Racing Shox, a 10-speed automatic transmission and innovative terrain management system that enables the driver to select modes to optimise driving dynamics to environmental conditions – from snow to mud, sand and more.
The Ford Performance F-150 Raptor at Goodwood also will feature the racing livery of the tank-like F‑150 Raptor competition model developed for the Best in the Desert Off-Road Racing Series’ new stock racing class.
Exciting Ford stand activities
At 10 metres high, the three-story Ford Performance stand offers one of the finest views of the Goodwood festival, which can be enjoyed using Ford’s Spectator Binoculars at locations across two floors.
Visitors also can experience The Leap, which challenges daredevils to throw themselves off a 4.5‑metre airbag jump experience. A team of parkour athletes will be ascending an experts-only 9‑metre platform eight times a day to perform a series of choreographed stunt falls, spins, flips and somersaults.
Elsewhere on the stand, the popular Adrenalin Walk returns to give visitors a unique view of the #66 Le Mans Ford GT using a suspended glass floor to offer views from every angle above the race car.
Ken Block’s 2016 Ford Focus RS RX vehicle, competing in the FIA World Rallycross Championship, will also be on display.
Celebrating Ford’s partnership with the Team Sky elite cycling team, Ford also is hosting the Team Sky Skills Trackstand Challenge, a timed standing-stop balance competition.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 201,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and data and analytics. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 53,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 68,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 24 manufacturing facilities (16 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 8 unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.
