Today in France, we are announcing that Ford Motor Company will compete, once again, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016. This is very exciting news for our company and the entire Ford team.
Le Mans, one of the most famous races in the world, has a very special heritage for Ford. We first competed there in 1923, and, in the 1960s, we celebrated our legendary performances at this iconic race course. In 1966, Ford GT40s came in first, second and third to record a famous victory over other leading international competitors. We returned to win three more consecutive years in 1967, 1968 and 1969.
Since then, our passion for racing never has diminished. We have competed in and won all the great races in all the great series around the world. From NASCAR to Formula One to endurance racing, racing is deeply embedded in our heritage.
In addition to honoring our past, racing gives us an opportunity to define our future. The racetrack is where our passion for technology and our innovative spirit can best be put to the test.
The Ford GT is ready for that test. It is the result of more than a decade of innovation and leadership in lightweight materials, aerodynamics and EcoBoost engine development.
In addition to the FIA World Endurance Championship, of which Le Mans is one round, the Ford GT will compete in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
We hope the sense of pride, passion and excitement about our return to GT racing is shared by everyone on the Ford team. Please click here for a live feed of today’s announcement, which will begin shortly, or go to @Ford Online for more information.
We look forward to sharing more news in the days and weeks to come.