Rolex 24 at Daytona 2017
- Thread starter dbk
- Start date
Blue Moose
GT
Brombear
GT Owner
Jason Watt
Had both, sold both
BtwoG
GT Owner
Excellent job all around. Looking forward to another great season.
Sounds like the BOP will keep the races exciting.
Sounds like the BOP will keep the races exciting.
timcantwell
Le Mans 2010 Sponsor * Moderator
Congratulations to Ford, and the team. What an incredible run. Weather was a challenge, race was close, what a day!
Apollo
GT Owner
There was only one thing that would have made this all even better. ..seeing Henry III's smiling face and the proud look on his face in victory circle! Chris told us he was all set to come but last minute other obligations prevented him from being there. I know he was watching the race, and if he reads the Forum - we sure wish you could have been here! Congratulations! :cheers
Howard
GT Owner
Vince H
GT Owner
What a spectacular win! Dirk drove masterfully on that final stint. Susan and I were in Oceanside at a wedding but you better believe my IMSA app was on full time. Needed a back up battery for my phone just to keep connected through the whole thing. Then during dinner the conversation turned into Ford's win at Le Mans and their running in Daytona. I wonder how that happened? Haha! Really wish we were there but more importantly congrats to the entire CGR/Ford Performance team. Looks like they are making a habit of winning the big ones! So good! Go Blu.
Vince H
Vince H
One for the ages.
Gentlemen,
Daytona 2017 was truly one for the ages. If it is possible for a race to be more exciting than Le Mans last summer, (though admittedly not as important), this was it. It was absolutely insane. Ford GT's all out front for a period of time, and then all the Ford GT's were back in the pack. Cold, wet, miserable weather all night that the drivers and crew had to deal with. We had a much easier go of it in the comfortable confines of the Rolex lounge directly over the start finish line at the very top of those massive grandstands. We could see the entire track and the cars never disappeared from view and this made for a grand experience.
But during the last hour of that race I stood outside transfixed by the raging battle playing out before me. Six cars within three seconds of the lead, often the top four within one second of the first place car. I stood next to eight men all wearing Rizi Competition Ferrari jackets and hats. With 40 minutes to go they were jubilant as it appeared their car had untouchable speed on every straightaway. It was going to take something dramatic to put the Ford GT out front and Muller knew it. Unable to out accelerate that Ferrari he chose to out brake it in turn one right in front of us. In one of the riskiest and most dramatic passes during that race he pulled off what did not look possible. All of the Ferrari spectators to my right let out a loud collective "F**K" while those of us wearing Ford colors cheered wildly.
The words of Chip Ganassi came to mind when, after the #68 Ford GT took the lead at Le Mans and Ford factory executive turned to him and said, "What happens now?" his response was, "A million things can happen now, and only one of them is good".
But the most heart attack inducing moments were yet to come as that masterfully driven Porsche 911 tried to do the exact same thing about eight laps in a row, stuffing his nose deep into turn one only to have Muller expertly slam the door shut in a masterful display of defensive positioning. I've been to thousands of sporting events in my life but I have never been so on edge. And when it was all over I was almost more relieved than jubilant.
I'll be the first to admit that I would not be calling this "One for the ages" had the final result gone another way. But it didn't.
And with all of that drama going on, Brian Stormer and I were trying to soothe our frazzled nerves by consuming 50,000 calories a day from the buffet, bar, and desert lines up in that lounge. It may take a week or so before our systems get back to normal.
What a ride!
Chip
Gentlemen,
Daytona 2017 was truly one for the ages. If it is possible for a race to be more exciting than Le Mans last summer, (though admittedly not as important), this was it. It was absolutely insane. Ford GT's all out front for a period of time, and then all the Ford GT's were back in the pack. Cold, wet, miserable weather all night that the drivers and crew had to deal with. We had a much easier go of it in the comfortable confines of the Rolex lounge directly over the start finish line at the very top of those massive grandstands. We could see the entire track and the cars never disappeared from view and this made for a grand experience.
But during the last hour of that race I stood outside transfixed by the raging battle playing out before me. Six cars within three seconds of the lead, often the top four within one second of the first place car. I stood next to eight men all wearing Rizi Competition Ferrari jackets and hats. With 40 minutes to go they were jubilant as it appeared their car had untouchable speed on every straightaway. It was going to take something dramatic to put the Ford GT out front and Muller knew it. Unable to out accelerate that Ferrari he chose to out brake it in turn one right in front of us. In one of the riskiest and most dramatic passes during that race he pulled off what did not look possible. All of the Ferrari spectators to my right let out a loud collective "F**K" while those of us wearing Ford colors cheered wildly.
The words of Chip Ganassi came to mind when, after the #68 Ford GT took the lead at Le Mans and Ford factory executive turned to him and said, "What happens now?" his response was, "A million things can happen now, and only one of them is good".
But the most heart attack inducing moments were yet to come as that masterfully driven Porsche 911 tried to do the exact same thing about eight laps in a row, stuffing his nose deep into turn one only to have Muller expertly slam the door shut in a masterful display of defensive positioning. I've been to thousands of sporting events in my life but I have never been so on edge. And when it was all over I was almost more relieved than jubilant.
I'll be the first to admit that I would not be calling this "One for the ages" had the final result gone another way. But it didn't.
And with all of that drama going on, Brian Stormer and I were trying to soothe our frazzled nerves by consuming 50,000 calories a day from the buffet, bar, and desert lines up in that lounge. It may take a week or so before our systems get back to normal.
What a ride!
Chip
Attachments
Last edited:
knightka
GT Owner
Photos
Lots of great photos from Daytona in this Jalopnik article:
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/here-is-your-2017-rolex-24-hours-at-daytona-mega-uber-g-1791777288
Lots of great photos from Daytona in this Jalopnik article:
http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/here-is-your-2017-rolex-24-hours-at-daytona-mega-uber-g-1791777288
Xcentric
GT Owner
Howard
GT Owner
Chip, I skipped dinner last night and lunch today. I'm pretty sure I had the same caloric intake as you and Stormcat in the Rolex Lounge.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
FORD CHIP GANASSI RACING WINS GTLM TITLE AT ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA
Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais drive to GTLM class win in riveting battle of manufacturers
Ford GT has now won its category in both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Le Mans 24 Hours
Ford GTs finished p1, p5, p7 and p10
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 29, 2017 – It didn’t seem the 55th-annual Rolex 24 could get any more exciting for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing. All four Ford GTs were united, competing together on one track for the first time since the Le Mans 24 last year. The team qualified p1-2-3 in GTLM. Then came the final 30 minutes of the race.
After starting on pole, the No. 66 Ford GT led much of the early hours. Then came the overnight stints and some of the most challenging conditions, between wet and the cold temperatures, the drivers had ever been up against.
In spite of it all, the same trio who propelled Ford to a GTE Pro win at Le Mans in 2016 – p1 qualifier Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais - charged up to the front again and again.
“The win made me very uncomfortable to watch. And sweaty,” said Hand, who with Bourdais watched Müller take the checkered flag with the No. 66 just as they did at Le Mans. “I told my family at home before I left that I had a good feeling about this race. I really felt like we could win. We worked really well together. That’s what makes a difference. The three of us together, you may not think a German dude, a French guy who has a bunch of IndyCar championships and a guy from California would work together the best, but we do really work well together.”
While it looked as if more than one Ford GT would make the podium, various pit strategies and cautions landed the No. 69 (Andy Priaulx/Harry Tincknell/Tony Kanaan) p5 and the No. 68 (Olivier Pla/Stefan Mücke/Billy Johnson) p7. The No. 67 Ford GT finished laps down after an accident in the Bus Stop in the treacherous overnight hours.
“It’s an incredible event,” Tincknell said. “You race hard from the start but it’s all about the last hour and keeping the car in one piece for that final flat out run to the flag…Overall, though, what a mega experience. The Americans know how to entertain; bunching the cars up and going racing in this way is incredible. There was some great racing going on and I really want to come back next year.”
It was the seventh Rolex 24 win for Chip Ganassi Racing, the first in the GT ranks, and the 19th win for Ford at the event. Ford and Chip Ganassi Racing first teamed up to win in prototype in 2015.
“With any of these endurance races, there are many ways to win or to lose,” Bourdais said. “To be honest, we just didn’t put a foot or a wheel wrong.”
Both Hand and Bourdais thanked Müller for fighting off rival manufacturers for a riveting finish that landed them on the top step of the podium.
“Dirk just did it in the end,” Bourdais said. “It’s always that way in Daytona. It almost doesn’t matter what happens in the 23 ½ hours, everything matters from the last yellow flag.”
“I have to thank my teammates here,” Müller said. “To follow up to things Chip is always saying in our meetings, hand the car over as you would have it. We’re lucky I don’t have to hand the car over, because there’s a little scratch on the right-side mirror now from my move with the Ferrari (laugher), but what a race. Joey said it. I think to sit here is a big honor because we managed to win a very challenging race. I think the whole team a fantastic job.”
Ford’s history with the event in its current format stretches back to its very first green flag. In 1966, a Ford GT 40 won the first-ever 24-hour endurance race at Daytona.
“This is a great win for our GT program,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, Ford Motor Company. “It's a credit to everyone involved, from our Ford team to Ganassi, Roush Yates, Multimatic and Michelin. Conditions were very difficult throughout much of the race, but that winning car had no issues at all against some of the best competition in the sport.
There's a lot to be proud of with this win and we hope it's the start of a great season for our teams."
The race gives momentum to Ford Chip Ganassi Racing for the rest of the year in both IMSA and FIA WEC competition.
“It’s a proud day for everyone at Ford,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “We came into this race with a lot to prove after last year and it was great to see all four of our GTs run so well. The competition was amazing, and the 66 car guys ran a perfect race. It's a great way to start 2017, and we couldn't be more proud of everyone who worked so hard to prepare for this race."
Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais drive to GTLM class win in riveting battle of manufacturers
Ford GT has now won its category in both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Le Mans 24 Hours
Ford GTs finished p1, p5, p7 and p10
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 29, 2017 – It didn’t seem the 55th-annual Rolex 24 could get any more exciting for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing. All four Ford GTs were united, competing together on one track for the first time since the Le Mans 24 last year. The team qualified p1-2-3 in GTLM. Then came the final 30 minutes of the race.
After starting on pole, the No. 66 Ford GT led much of the early hours. Then came the overnight stints and some of the most challenging conditions, between wet and the cold temperatures, the drivers had ever been up against.
In spite of it all, the same trio who propelled Ford to a GTE Pro win at Le Mans in 2016 – p1 qualifier Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and Sébastien Bourdais - charged up to the front again and again.
“The win made me very uncomfortable to watch. And sweaty,” said Hand, who with Bourdais watched Müller take the checkered flag with the No. 66 just as they did at Le Mans. “I told my family at home before I left that I had a good feeling about this race. I really felt like we could win. We worked really well together. That’s what makes a difference. The three of us together, you may not think a German dude, a French guy who has a bunch of IndyCar championships and a guy from California would work together the best, but we do really work well together.”
While it looked as if more than one Ford GT would make the podium, various pit strategies and cautions landed the No. 69 (Andy Priaulx/Harry Tincknell/Tony Kanaan) p5 and the No. 68 (Olivier Pla/Stefan Mücke/Billy Johnson) p7. The No. 67 Ford GT finished laps down after an accident in the Bus Stop in the treacherous overnight hours.
“It’s an incredible event,” Tincknell said. “You race hard from the start but it’s all about the last hour and keeping the car in one piece for that final flat out run to the flag…Overall, though, what a mega experience. The Americans know how to entertain; bunching the cars up and going racing in this way is incredible. There was some great racing going on and I really want to come back next year.”
It was the seventh Rolex 24 win for Chip Ganassi Racing, the first in the GT ranks, and the 19th win for Ford at the event. Ford and Chip Ganassi Racing first teamed up to win in prototype in 2015.
“With any of these endurance races, there are many ways to win or to lose,” Bourdais said. “To be honest, we just didn’t put a foot or a wheel wrong.”
Both Hand and Bourdais thanked Müller for fighting off rival manufacturers for a riveting finish that landed them on the top step of the podium.
“Dirk just did it in the end,” Bourdais said. “It’s always that way in Daytona. It almost doesn’t matter what happens in the 23 ½ hours, everything matters from the last yellow flag.”
“I have to thank my teammates here,” Müller said. “To follow up to things Chip is always saying in our meetings, hand the car over as you would have it. We’re lucky I don’t have to hand the car over, because there’s a little scratch on the right-side mirror now from my move with the Ferrari (laugher), but what a race. Joey said it. I think to sit here is a big honor because we managed to win a very challenging race. I think the whole team a fantastic job.”
Ford’s history with the event in its current format stretches back to its very first green flag. In 1966, a Ford GT 40 won the first-ever 24-hour endurance race at Daytona.
“This is a great win for our GT program,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, Ford Motor Company. “It's a credit to everyone involved, from our Ford team to Ganassi, Roush Yates, Multimatic and Michelin. Conditions were very difficult throughout much of the race, but that winning car had no issues at all against some of the best competition in the sport.
There's a lot to be proud of with this win and we hope it's the start of a great season for our teams."
The race gives momentum to Ford Chip Ganassi Racing for the rest of the year in both IMSA and FIA WEC competition.
“It’s a proud day for everyone at Ford,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “We came into this race with a lot to prove after last year and it was great to see all four of our GTs run so well. The competition was amazing, and the 66 car guys ran a perfect race. It's a great way to start 2017, and we couldn't be more proud of everyone who worked so hard to prepare for this race."