Momentum is building towards Ford's Le Mans program

[dbk]

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-sho...um-is-building-towards-fords-le-mans-program/

Ford finally revealed its next-generation Ford GT on Monday at the North American International Auto Show, and for racing fans, the conversation quickly turned to the brand's plans for the twin-turbo V6 stunner.

Here's what we know based on information we've learned over the past seven months: The car is destined to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016, which will mark the 50th anniversary of Ford's first win at the world's most famous race in the GT40 MK II.


AMERICAN POWERHOUSE TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING WILL RUN THE PROGRAM.
The curvy coupe will be built to conform to the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) GTE regulations—the same class where the factory Corvette Racing, Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin teams engage in an annual cage match at the legendary 8.5-mile French circuit.


Canadian racing technology and chassis construction experts Multimatic will be responsible for transforming the Ford GT road car into its baseline GTE platform. North Carolina's Roush Yates Engines, which churns out Ford's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost mills, will apply its knowledge to the GTE challenger.


American powerhouse team Chip Ganassi Racing will run the program. The Indianapolis-based outfit began its sports car partnership with Ford in 2014, running the Ford EcoBoost Daytona Prototype platform in the TUDOR Championship where it won the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring, and later in the season at the "Lonestar Le Mans" event at Circuit of The Americas.


Ganassi has relied on Scott Pruett, the winningest driver in North American road racing history, for the better part of a decade, and his ties to Ford date back to the 1980s when he joined the manufacturer as a works driver. Ganassi recently hired Joey Hand, who hails from Sacramento along with Pruett, away from BMW after the Californian completed an eight-year stint as a factory driver. The two American drivers are primed to lead the development of the Ford GT as the team readies itself to represent Ford on the international stage.


Some of the more recent details about the program add more elements of intrigue to the Blue Oval's plans.


The launch of the car and its Le Mans return were initially considered as a package deal for NAIAS, but the most recent timeline for a rollout has been moved to Paris just prior to the 24-hour race in mid-June. Fans hoping to see the car on Monday and learn about its return to La Sarthe will have to wait a few more months.


The recruiting process for the Le Mans program started almost one year ago. Although the project came to light in early summer, a few key personnel were targeted for the project as early as March, if not sooner.


IF FORD INTENDS TO BECOME A PLAYER IN 2016, AERO WILL BE THE KEY.
With Ganassi's Ford EcoBoost DP effort expected to fall silent at the end of 2015 to allow their full focus on the GTE program, Ford has made all of its resources available to the team—many of which had been previously unavailable. Combined with the massive racing-specific engineering and R&D resources Ganassi already has in place with its Verizon IndyCar Series, TUDOR Championship, and NASCAR Sprint cup programs, opening the door to Ford's enterprise-level resources should accelerate the Le Mans project to a point of readiness that few manufacturers have experienced in recent years.


The new Ford GT's use of the same 3.5-liter TTV6 EcoBoost Daytona Prototype engine is a smart choice by the manufacturer, and due to the intensive weight loss and packaging optimization the engine has gone through in the past 12 months, not to mention the reliability it has displayed at events like the 24 Hours of Daytona, the road car will inherit an engine package with significant racing pedigree.


Horsepower and torque figures for the GTE class are impressive, yet often require manufacturers to dial down both figures to comply with regulations. It makes the GT's 600 hp in road trim far more than they'll be able to use at the track, and that can only help in their durability quest. Basically, the race version of the engine will be understressed.


Multimatic is also renowned for its suspension and damping expertise, which will help Ford to reach a similar state of immediate readiness as the Roush Yates engine. The one area that will require work is the Ford GT's aerodynamics.


With low-drag bodywork serving as the key to quick lap times at Le Mans, Ford and Ganassi will need to transform the car's aerodynamic profile into more of an arrow than automotive art project. If Ford intends to become a player in 2016, aero will be the key.


Another interesting area for the team to master is the fuel used by teams at Le Mans. E85 is the norm in America, and while we won't know the exact mixture that will be required until the 2016 regulations are revealed, tuners can expect a continuation of the watery stuff that threw the Dodge factory effort off in 2013. Once the 2016 spec is known, look for Roush Yates to have the dyno rooms glowing with mapping tweaks and 24-hour simulation runs on the punchless petrol.


Of the major questions needing answers, it's unclear how robust the Ganassi-Ford GTE racing program will be in 2016. It's safe to assume a presence in the TUDOR Championship will be maintained in the GT Le Mans class (the series' name for cars conforming to ACO GTE regulations), and it would also be expected—and likely required, based on existing rules—for the team to contest some rounds of the World Endurance Championship prior to Le Mans.


We'll also have to wait and see what Ford's driver roster looks like, and with plenty of championship-winning talent available for hire—I've even helped connect a few drivers with the right people involved with the project—we could see an impressive, multi-national lineup of American badasses, French speakers, and other talent to wave the Stars and Stripes.

 

[Awsum GT]

This is awesome... Can't wait for 2016. Maybe this will be the year to go to the race and knock one more thing off my bucket list... Ford GT Forum Le Mans Trip anyone?

 

[Sinovac]

This is awesome... Can't wait for 2016. Maybe this will be the year to go to the race and knock one more thing off my bucket list... Ford GT Forum Le Mans Trip anyone?

I think you'll have plenty of company. :lol

 

[twobjshelbys]

No mention of homologation. They still have to produce and sell 100 vehicles (which is possible if the cars are delivered in the first part of 2016). But they also have to get some exceptions for the carbon fiber construction. I think the wing is also an issue but that can be clamped down and a fixed one substituted.

The article saying about aero body changes, drastic changes are not allowed either. In the case of the body though I would expect that the race group was part of the aero design and contributed their 2c worth during that stage.

Of course, the FIA could come in and say "go for it."

Are you going to add this to your list of press info topic?

 

[Awsum GT]

How far in advance of the race would they need to have the 100 sales? Is the definition of sale, deposit taken, in a buyers garage or at a dealer on the floor?

 

[twobjshelbys]

How far in advance of the race would they need to have the 100 sales? Is the definition of sale, deposit taken, in a buyers garage or at a dealer on the floor?

I think these are the relevant portions of the FIA/ACO spec. Article 2 contains a lot more that sort of narrow it, but section 2.1 "eligibility" is the shopping list

2.1.3 The "LM" GTE Grand Touring car must meet a minimum of
the following criteria:

To be regularly produced by a Manufacturer approved by
ACO;

A regular production implies a permanent implementation of
the means required to produce a minimum of 1 car per week
for the "Big Manufacturers" and one car per month to the
"Small Manufacturers". If the production is not respected, the
ACO will suspend the homologation of the car the year after.
The suspension of the homologation will cease once the
production delay has been made up. It will be permitted to
compete with the car as soon as a minimum of 100 road
cars for the "Big Manufacturers" and 25 road cars for the
"Small Manufacturers" will be produced.

To have a launch campaign: exhibitions in motor show, tests
with journalists, leaflets with the technical specifications of
the car…

To have a commercial network at its disposal which provide
an after-sales service. An exemplary of the spare parts'
catalogue and the maintenance manual must be delivered
during the homologation of the car.

To be equipped with an engine used in a production car and
made in a quantity of at least 300 units.

2.1.4 The use of the following technical specifications makes the
eligibility of a car impossible:

Parts of the suspension fixed on mechanical components :
engine, gearbox, etc ;

Carbon fibre (except for aerodynamic devices), titanium,
magnesium (apart from wheels and standard production
mechanical parts as listed in the Homologation Form), etc.,
or unless specified in these regulations. A car with a carbon
chassis can be accepted if:
• It is made in a quantity of at least 300 units.
• Only the cockpit is made with carbon elements,
• No suspension element is fixed on this carbon structure.

2.4.3 Movable bodywork parts / elements are forbidden when the
car is in motion.

Bold highlighting mine. Ford is certainly considered a "big manufacturer" in that they produce more than 2000 vehicles.

Note the italics in 2.1.3. It could be interpreted that "will be produced" is a "promise to build 100", but since I'm not fluent in French I would want someone to re-interpret the French. I think their "will be" is really "have been" as that is what I read when others interpret the actual spec. I have always seen it written elsewhere as being past tense.

All through the document it says that the "Endurance Committee" is all powerful and can make any restrictions go away. In particular, they could waive production requirements in anticipation of them being completed. And certainly they will have to address the carbon fiber construction, but I would hope they would endorse it globally and not make an exception. The FIA is really trying to "go green" and CF is one way to do so. Besides, aren't there other CF cars in the pipeline? Expect changes like this in 2016.

2.4.3 addresses the movable spoiler - it must be a fixed version and the spec goes into quite a detailed description of what it has to be.

 

[Joe Dozzo]

I didn't think the new GT could look any better until I saw the car in Heritage. I don't have or know the proper superlative.

And if there's any group going to 2016 as we did for Matech in 2010, please, PLEASE count me in!

 

[Superfly]

Man, bucket list stuff for me is to take a trip to LeMans with my son. I can see that happening next year for sure now.

 

[twobjshelbys]

Those who attended the final session at Rally IX know that something is coming. It will be a big deal including a driving tour some of the wildest roads in Europe, but details are still being planned. Eh Dave? The return to Le Mans by Ford (we can expect it to happen) coupled with the timing of that is, I'm sure, just pure luck.

 

[twobjshelbys]

I think these are the relevant portions of the FIA/ACO spec. Article 2 contains a lot more that sort of narrow it, but section 2.1 "eligibility" is the shopping list

...

In general regarding the FIA stuff above.

The other entrants in the LMGTE class have to be watching this car and the actions of FIA/ACO with eager anticipation.

If the FIA allows the new Ford GT into the class without announcing the 2016 specs well in advance, or allows it by by edict because they can, the rest of the members of the class are going to be royally p****d.

On the other hand I would like to see FIA do just that - and in part make up for their arbitrary and capricious cancellation of the Monza race in 1964 because of Enzo's whining that he might lose.

 

[Cobrar]

Wow, this will be an interesting test of (the final) 24 hour EcoBoost race engine calibration:

(from Road & Track)
"Another interesting area for the team to master is the fuel used by teams at Le Mans. E85 is the norm in America, and while we won't know the exact mixture that will be required until the 2016 regulations are revealed, tuners can expect a continuation of the watery stuff that threw the Dodge factory effort off in 2013. Once the 2016 spec is known, look for Roush Yates to have the dyno rooms glowing with mapping tweaks and 24-hour simulation runs on the punchless petrol."​

Just a 'small' nightmare for turbos. :eek