Holy Crap The Ford GT Is On Pole For Le Mans!

[FordCosworth]

" Say it with me now: U-S-A! U-S-A! In its first ever running at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the all-new Ford GT will start on pole and in second in the LM GTE Pro class.

 

It’s a remarkable achievement for the twin-turbo V6 car just a year after its unveiling, and for a race exactly 50 years after the original Ford GT40's historic win at the 1966 running of Le Mans.

 

Ford and Porsche fans, thank Mother Nature for the rain. Today’s two wet qualifying sessions offered few chances for teams to beat their fastest laps from Wednesday’s first qualifying session. Porsche 919s took an overall 1-2 in qualifying, and the Ford GT will start 1 and 2 in LM GTE Pro, too. The other two Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs start in 4th and 5th as well.  "

 

Dig it! Ford GT qualified 1-2-4-5...

 

Now lets see if the only American Mfg to ever win overall ( 4x, and all in a row ) can pull a GTE Class win in the return of Ford to Le Mans.

 

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/holy-crap-the-ford-gt-is-on-pole-for-le-mans-1782125811

Edited June 17, 2016 by FordCosworth

[FordCosworth]

 

 

 

 

Here's hoping this will be the view the competition sees all race long!

[ccap41]

I didn't realize one team could field 4 cars. I saw a little article the other day highlighting the drivers and the new program and whatnot but I didn't realize they could run so many cars. 

[FordCosworth]

" The undeniable speed advantage enjoyed by the turbocharged Ford and Ferrari GTE-Pro cars in practice andqualifying has been met with significant Balance of Performance changes just over 24 hours before the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

 

The pole-winning ford GTs, which qualified 1-2-4-5 in the 14-car class, have received an extra 10 kilos (22 pounds) of ballast, moving the four cars up to 1248 kgs (2751 lbs), but that's only a token change. The big pre-race adjustment is the removal of boost pressure throughout the twin-turbo V6's rev range from 4200-7000 rpms. Only the Ford's peak 7100 rpm range was left untouched. "

 

I'm trying to find exactly what is meant by " the removal of boost pressure throughout the twin-turbo V6's rev range... " Does that mean no boost in that RPM range? Lower PSI?

 

 

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/130910-lm24-sweeping-pre-race-gte-pro-bop-changes-made

[FordCosworth]

" The pole-winning Ford Chip Ganassi Racing GTE-Pro team has taken the pre-race Balance of Performance changes aimed at slowing its fleet of Ford GTs in stride.

 

The four GTs have taken on extra weight and lost turbo boost for the 24 Hours of Le Mans after qualifying P1-2-4-5. Those changes, along with penalties to the rapid turbo Ferrari 488s, and breaks for the slow Aston Martin V8 Vantages and Corvette C7.Rs, should reduce the sizeable 3.7-second gap that separated turbos from non-turbos. "

 

This here sounds along the lines of lower boost pressure. But its still not clear to me.

 

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/130912-lm24-ford-takes-bop-changes-in-stride

[G. David Felt]

Very cool, here is hoping for the best for them.

[ccap41]

I think it's pretty safe to say it's just a lower PSI in that rpm range. No way would they only allow boost over 7000rpm and heck, I don't even know if that's possible to even do. Plus, there is no way the turbo mill makes enough power if you eliminated the turbos to keep pace with anything. 

[El Kabong]

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

[FordCosworth]

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

 

 

Yup, the Corvettes were sandbagging. That was the tactic to get a BOP change in their favor.

[FordCosworth]

I like the car numbers on the Ford GT's...

 

66, 67, 68, 69

 

The significance of those numbers is those are the yrs Ford won Le Mans.

[El Kabong]

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

Yup, the Corvettes were sandbagging. That was the tactic to get a BOP change in their favor.

Ya... That's why the Corvette and every other maker in the class got breathing and/or ballast reductions...including frickin' Ferrari.

The ACO doesn't like being made to look foolish. Neither does Audi. We shall see how this plays out, but having your boost cut back throughout your effective racing rev range AND adding ballast? That's a pretty good slap.

Edited June 17, 2016 by El Kabong

[ccap41]

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

 

There was zero mention of sandbagging in that article. If you would please point out the part where they mention sandbagging. 

 

If you're referring to them running ver quick laps then the Ferrari 488 and Corvettes all had BoP changes this week reducing speed and just yesterday they gave a little back to the Vettes. 

I like the car numbers on the Ford GT's...

 

66, 67, 68, 69

 

The significance of those numbers is those are the yrs Ford won Le Mans.

Really? That's actually really cool! 

[FordCosworth]

 

 

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

Yup, the Corvettes were sandbagging. That was the tactic to get a BOP change in their favor.

Ya... That's why the Corvette and every other maker in the class got boosts and/or ballast reductions...including frickin' Ferrari.

The ACO doesn't like being made to look foolish. Neither does Audi. We shall see how this plays out, but having your boost cut back throughout your effective racing rev range AND adding ballast? That's a pretty good slap.

 

 

 

Actually Ferrari has ballast ( 22kg ) ADDED and no boost change. They also get an additional 4L of fuel capacity.

 

Porches only BOP change is added 8L fuel capacity - no air restriction or weight change. And for AM....well I have read of no changes.

Edited June 17, 2016 by FordCosworth

[ccap41]

 

 

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

Yup, the Corvettes were sandbagging. That was the tactic to get a BOP change in their favor.

Ya... That's why the Corvette and every other maker in the class got breathing and/or ballast reductions...including frickin' Ferrari.

The ACO doesn't like being made to look foolish. Neither does Audi. We shall see how this plays out, but having your boost cut back throughout your effective racing rev range AND adding ballast? That's a pretty good slap.

 

Corvette's initial BoP adjustment. 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29574/corvette-racing-is-not-impressed-with-performance-adjustments-at-le-mans/

 

Ferrari gained weight. 55lbs. 

"On the Ferrari side, its new twin-turbo V8 488 was met with the opposite treatment as its boost was left alone in favor of reducing its pace through bolting an extra 25 kilos (55 pounds) to the three Prancing horses that qualified P3-5-6."

 

WTF are you even reading? 

[El Kabong]

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

Yup, the Corvettes were sandbagging. That was the tactic to get a BOP change in their favor.

Ya... That's why the Corvette and every other maker in the class got breathing and/or ballast reductions...including frickin' Ferrari.

The ACO doesn't like being made to look foolish. Neither does Audi. We shall see how this plays out, but having your boost cut back throughout your effective racing rev range AND adding ballast? That's a pretty good slap.

Corvette's initial BoP adjustment.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29574/corvette-racing-is-not-impressed-with-performance-adjustments-at-le-mans/

Ferrari gained weight. 55lbs.

"On the Ferrari side, its new twin-turbo V8 488 was met with the opposite treatment as its boost was left alone in favor of reducing its pace through bolting an extra 25 kilos (55 pounds) to the three Prancing horses that qualified P3-5-6."[/size]

WTF are you even reading?

Ok, I'll retract my Ferrari comment and double down on the sandbagging one:

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/first-le-mans-qualifying-session-puts-a-sandbag-free-fo-1782063033

...everybody knew. Carbon tub, three-digit production run... it's a ringer. And it will be adjusted accordingly. Hey, it still may win, but the odds went down quite a bit.

And if it DOES wind up losing... well.

Edited June 17, 2016 by El Kabong

[FordCosworth]

So now youre slagging the construction of the Ford GT?     

 

How about the non production 5.5L in the Corvette? 

 

Come on Bong....

Edited June 17, 2016 by FordCosworth

[ccap41]

 

 

 

 

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

Yup, the Corvettes were sandbagging. That was the tactic to get a BOP change in their favor.

Ya... That's why the Corvette and every other maker in the class got breathing and/or ballast reductions...including frickin' Ferrari.

The ACO doesn't like being made to look foolish. Neither does Audi. We shall see how this plays out, but having your boost cut back throughout your effective racing rev range AND adding ballast? That's a pretty good slap.

Corvette's initial BoP adjustment.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29574/corvette-racing-is-not-impressed-with-performance-adjustments-at-le-mans/

Ferrari gained weight. 55lbs.

"On the Ferrari side, its new twin-turbo V8 488 was met with the opposite treatment as its boost was left alone in favor of reducing its pace through bolting an extra 25 kilos (55 pounds) to the three Prancing horses that qualified P3-5-6."[/size]

WTF are you even reading?

Ok, I'll retract my Ferrari comment and double down on the sandbagging one:

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/first-le-mans-qualifying-session-puts-a-sandbag-free-fo-1782063033

...everybody knew. They used a carbon tub in a produc

 

Per your link...

 

"Its sister No. 64 Corvette was the second slowest in LM GTE Pro. Another conspiracy theory posits that the Corvettes are saving their true pace for later in order to force Balance of Performance changes for the Fords. Adjust those tin-foil berets, folks, and welcome to Le Mans week."

 

I can tell you don't follow the sport because if you had been this has been a discussion amongst EVERY team holding back prior t even coming to Le Mans because everybody wants to have as much advantage as they can.

[FordCosworth]

^^^^^^

 

Hence my snippet about the C.7R bagging in order to get a BOP change in their favor.

[FordCosworth]

 

...aaaaand the ACO just cracked down on them HARD for sandbagging:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a29589/last-minute-le-mans-rule-changes-make-ford-gts-slower-corvettes-faster/

 

There was zero mention of sandbagging in that article. If you would please point out the part where they mention sandbagging. 

 

If you're referring to them running ver quick laps then the Ferrari 488 and Corvettes all had BoP changes this week reducing speed and just yesterday they gave a little back to the Vettes. 

I like the car numbers on the Ford GT's...

 

66, 67, 68, 69

 

The significance of those numbers is those are the yrs Ford won Le Mans.

Really? That's actually really cool! 

 

 

 

[ccap41]

^^^^^^

 

Hence my snippet about the C.7R bagging in order to get a BOP change in their favor.

Honestly, I think they all 'bagged a little. Its the nature of the game when you have "on the fly" adjustments to the fastest cars to slow them down. That's one reason NASCAR is such a great form of auto racing. There is none of that going on. 

 

To try and single out one manufacture/team and not look at the whole picture of how the sport just "is" is a little near sighted. Ferrari, Ford, and Vette were all forced to make changes this week. This kind of thing literally happens every week/event in this series to try and keep as level playing field as possible.

[El Kabong]

I'm just pointing out (using the same website as the OP) that it ain't all sunshine and lollipops winning the class pole by such a large margin. Nothing more, nothing less. If there's butthurt about that, ain't my problem.

[surreal1272]

I just wonder if this same concern would have been expressed had a Vette taken the pole.

[ccap41]

I'm just pointing out (using the same website as the OP) that it ain't all sunshine and lollipops winning the class pole by such a large margin. Nothing more, nothing less. If there's butthurt about that, ain't my problem.

You really don't know anything about the series and you just sound ignorant. Regardless of how perfect a car is the series will level the field by pulling power, adding weight and vise versa for the competition so it doesn't really matter how great a car is because the series is aimed at a competitive racing otherwise it would be like watching F1 where the same team wins/leads at every track. It might switch from year to year but like this year Mclaren Mercedes is winning just about everything(if they don't take each other out).

And because you don't follow the sport, it's pretty obvious your intentions in this thread. Not to actually discuss the topic but to try and bash a brand(the same one you do at every turn).

Follow the sport and don't look like a douche next time.

[ccap41]

I didn't realize back in the day Ford started 8 GT's in one race. That's a lot of cars. 

[Robert Hall]

I love the WEC...try and watch as much as I can....watching the 24 now..

[Suaviloquent]

Someone was going to win the pole position.

 

Every body had said before that the GT was fast car, and that was months ago.

 

Seems to me if Chevy was sandbagging, then GM is worried about losing so bad they had to scratch for whatever advantage they could get BESIDES getting the pole.

[ccap41]

I love the WEC...try and watch as much as I can....watching the 24 now..

I'm at work but I'm streaming live from Ford's on board cameras. It's pretty awesome.

[El Kabong]

Well, I won't be able to see the end of the race, but it looks like Ford got the class win as of now. If so, congratulations to them-well played, well-raced.

[FordCosworth]

Ford's triumphant return

 

Ford claimed decisive victory in the GTE class on its return to the Le Mans 24 Hours 50 years to the day following the American manufacturer's 1966 Le Mans 1-2-3 with the GT40. The pole-winning No. 68 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT driven by Dirk Muller, Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais led the charge to a decisive victory.

 

“It’s great,” Hand said. “This is crazy. Hashtag America, that’s what I would say. I don’t know what to say. Just a great group of people, just a lot of great people, that’s what this is all about. This is a lot of hard work – we put it all on the line for them as drivers today. We didn’t leave anything out there, and the car just kept on truckin’. It was a great day.”

 

Team owner Chip Ganassi added: “You know, I’m just lucky to have great people to work with and work for. Representing Ford 50 years after their historic win here, and now to come back with a great team of people and great partners, it’s great. I want to say thanks to my team, everybody that’s involved with this deal from head to toe – it’s incredible.

 

Great finish for Ford's return to Le Mans!

 

Ford GT Finishing Order

 

1-3-4-9

 

"This is right up there with all our wins. The race I always want to win is the next one, but this one is going to go in the books as a crowning jewel.”

 

 

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/131007-lm24-gte-pro-ford-s-triumphant-return

[ccap41]

[ccap41]

Great race to watch. I wish I could have watched a little more but it just wasn't covered from like 5pm-3am.

[G. David Felt]

Very Cool!

[FordCosworth]

Great race to watch. I wish I could have watched a little more but it just wasn't covered from like 5pm-3am.

 

 

Lucky you! I didn't catch any footage.

 

Travelling for Fathers Day weekend, crabbing and halibut fishing ( and eating crab and halibut    ) with my pop, had me checking in for updates only.

[ccap41]

 

Great race to watch. I wish I could have watched a little more but it just wasn't covered from like 5pm-3am.

 

 

Lucky you! I didn't catch any footage.

 

Travelling for Fathers Day weekend, crabbing and halibut fishing ( and eating crab and halibut    ) with my pop, had me checking in for updates only.

 

Dang, bummer on the race part but it sounds like a good day overall!

 

I got to watch a good amount saturday in between things at home and the gym but they stopped coverage I think at 4pm then they had two short 30 minute bits at 5-30pm and 6-30pm and when I looked on our guide I didn't see anything until the conclusion that started coverage back at like 3 or 4am till 9am. I woke up at like 930 and was disappointed I missed the finish, especially after what I heard happened to Toyota.

[ccap41]

Got this from Motor Trend's snapchat over the weekend...because they were there! 

 

I thought the pic was pretty awesome to I screenshot-ed it. 

 

And w/o the writing on it.

 

Random cool picture from their Snapchat this weekend as well.

[Suaviloquent]

Hmm....maybe the little EcoBoost ain't so bad. That with rumours about Ferrari and McLaren doing TTV6's in the future...of similar displacement...for supercars....and endurance racing....

 

Hmmmmm....A lot of salt that needs to be rubbed.

[oldshurst442]

 

PROUDLY DISPLAYING WHAT POWERS MY WIFE'S CAR!!!

 

WHY?

 

[Drew Dowdell]

 

PROUDLY DISPLAYING WHAT POWERS MY WIFE'S CAR!!!

 

WHY?

 

 

It's called "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday"... it's about as old a mantra as the automobile itself.

[oldshurst442]

Lets us celebrate another way of Ford's 50th anniversary of it spanking Ferrari's ass!

Not only winning at LeMans in 2016 in its class and untop of a Ferrari but this way too...

 

Edited June 20, 2016 by oldshurst442

[oldshurst442]

 

 

PROUDLY DISPLAYING WHAT POWERS MY WIFE'S CAR!!!

 

WHY?

 

 

It's called "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday"... it's about as old a mantra as the automobile itself.

 

Does that mean that I should visit my Ford dealership and buy myself the Mustang? A GT perhaps?...hell, the ecoboost version will do! After all, the ecoboost won the race!

Sounds like a sound plan to me !!!!

[Drew Dowdell]

 

 

 

PROUDLY DISPLAYING WHAT POWERS MY WIFE'S CAR!!!

 

WHY?

 

 

It's called "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday"... it's about as old a mantra as the automobile itself.

 

Does that mean that I should visit my Ford dealership and buy myself the Mustang? A GT perhaps?...hell, the ecoboost version will do! After all, the ecoboost won the race!

Sounds like a sound plan to me !!!!

 

 

That's the association Ford is hoping you, and many others, will make. 

[Suaviloquent]

The 1.0L EcoBoost is the mini-me of the 3.5L nastyness found in the Daytona Prototype, GTE-LM and the Ford GT.

[hyperv6]

Well here is the deal on this whole thing. 

The AOC manipulated the cars to the point where they set Ford and Ferrari up to draw ratings. They failed the other brands in making the BOP. 

Ford has been sand bagging and it was an open secret. The other brands are now speaking up as they the BOP was pretty good at Daytona as all the cars were even but as time has gone on they failed to regulate it well. 

 

Also GM and Pratt and Miller are not happy with the fact Ford built a race car then will make a token number of street cars to make it legal. In fact the street cars should have been made before the GT could race. 

All other brands are taking their production cars as the rules clearly state and making them into race cars and no need to build a token number as they are built in the thousands. This is clearly a sign that the racing body has played games and if they continue to do this the series may find themselves with only Fords in the field which is not good for ticket sales or TV ratings. 

 

I know some of you here may just claim it is sour grapes but the truth is racing is business. The fact is the BOP is there to keep the greatest number of MFG in the series and help control the cost. But if you want to practice BOP you need to get it right and fix it if you get it wrong.  Also you need to make sure someone does not come in and by pass the rules the others have followed for years as they can turn away pretty fast. 

If you do not understand this then look back to the 917-30 run back in the early 70's in Can Am. The series did not regulate this well and the series lost many teams due to cost and the series died and came back several times but never as good as it once was.

The same thing happened in Trans Am also. Ford and Chevy stunk up the show and then bailed leaving the series with few good teams. It has come back a few times but really never was the series it once was. Today they really have it going again for smaller private teams and it is thriving as they are contorting cost well. 

Companies want good exposure and they do not want to have $100,000,000 programs. IMSA priced themselves out and everyone left the party. It was an amazing series in the 80's but died fast. 

 

Here is the link to the Badboys Vettes site. They have some legitimate complaints. They have been screwed this year and the last two years after dominating the start of the season and then having weight added and restriction added to the intakes leaving the championship to the Viper who was threatening to leave and still did when given the win. The last year Porsche was handed the advantage late. 

 

I would keep in mind GM has the mid engine car coming that the rules favor and I have heard a turbo may be in play as an option. That too is something the rules favor. I expect if the series does not gain control of this soon GM will come in and do the same thing Ford did this year but they will have a production car first. 

Pratt and Miller is the one of the best MFG of race cars in the world and they will not let this go. They have tried to play by the rules and gotten screwed three times now by the sanctioning body. Their motto take no prisoners is not an idle threat. 

 

Word is they are already at work on the new car and have to wait till it is introduced to use it. This is also why the present car has not changed a lot. 

 

I just wish the body would get their sH*$t together and get the BOP right so we could have a really good series. Also I wish they would just enforce the rules as stated that these have to be production cars for sale before they race them. They really need to stop playing favorites or they will lose many of the fans watching. It is more than the GM fans that are not happy. 

 

http://badboyvettes.com/

 

Note point 7 that Ford even went as far to protest the one Ferrari for a light to try to sweep the podium.  Come on guys if you can not sweep it outright then let it go. 

 

In the end to me it matters little who wins these races as long as it is all done in a fair competitive way. When winners are given distinct advantages and liberties that is what kills series like this and the ability to see great races, cars and teams compete. 

 

I have lost many a great series over BS handling of the series and I hate to see another go that way. Road racing is not the strongest series in the public eye and with racing in general hurting this one could be one of the first to see the MFG leave and team become weak or irrelevant. 

If you love road racing we all should take notice here and take issue with how the series is being run as they may kill this and we may be left with stuff like Daytona prototypes again. Another spec car series. 

[ccap41]

Where does it say they must be in production NOW to race? Regardless the there are restrictions on what can and cannot be changed from the production car so it shouldn't matter if the car is on sale now or 5 months from now..it will be the same car per the rules.

I'm not sure how much you've followed the series but the first few races this season they talked about all of the teams sandbagging because of BOP adjustments for Le Mans. And everybody "saving their best stuff".

[Suaviloquent]

Yeah, and Chevy uses a completely non-production V8.

 

The GT production vehicle will use a slighty modified version of the race engine.

 

Look, if the other teams were caught with their pants down and didn't expect a competitive showing by Ford since they were fielding a brand new car, it is all on them for failing to be prepared. 

 

The GT won, people will call cheating and fixation left and right, but do you really think anyone would go easy?

 

Or do you forget that a Ford GT race car got obliterated earlier in the season?

 

Ford was in it to win, and they got what they wanted...everyone else is a bunch of pissed off losers.

[Frisky Dingo]

ACO is definitely screwing up on BOP on some teams. The Ford GT and Ferrari 488 enjoyed a clear advantage at LeMans.

 

I personally think the BOP is garbage for GTE. There's no point in giving waivers for teams to skirt rules- Corvette C7R, BMW Z4 GT3, etc- only to dumb them back down to a 'level playing field'. Leave BOP to the GT3/GT Am division.

 

GTE needs to have a rule where production engines must be used, regardless of displacement, induction, etc, and keep them in their factory location and factory size. Then, just limit power output. The best will come to the top. Constantly changing air restrictor size, adding weight, and altering fuel tank size is obviously ineffective. Just my .02

 

As for the 24hr race, I was obviously rooting for Porsche, but I have to say, it was heartbreaking to see Toyota lose it on the last lap. And then to add insult to injury, end up with a Non-Classified finish. Just goes to show, reliability trumps all in endurance racing. At least Porsche picked up the win, rather than Audi.