Four veteran factory drivers for Ford Mustang GT3 in GTD Pro – Ford and Multimatic with factory entry in 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship
Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, Mike Rockenfeller and Harry Tincknell will represent Ford in its comeback to the IMSA SportsCar Championship. The experienced quartet will pilot two Ford Mustang GT3s entered in Multimatic’s GTD Pro.
Three of the four drivers were already on board the Ford GT in the GTE programme. Multimatic was involved there too, but the entries were run by Ganassi. The US team is now represented by Cadillac in the prototype scene.
With an average age of 40.25 years, the squad is hard to beat for experience. Tincknell, at 31, is clearly the youngest of the four works drivers, Rockenfeller (39), Hand (44) and Müller (47) are scratching the 40 mark or, in some cases, have already passed it by a considerable margin. Nevertheless, all of them are still in the middle of their careers.
The long-time Ford drivers Müller, Tincknell and Hand were significantly involved in the development of the Mustang GT3. The Briton presented the car to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Rockenfeller was also allowed to test the Mustang GT3 at Sebring.
Ford-Dreamteam Hand/Müller reunited
Hand and Müller form a driver pairing again. The two already raced together in Ford GT times and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GTE class, back then together with Sebastien Bourdais. Six months later, this trio also took the GTLM class win at the 2017 24 Hours of Daytona.
“I’m very excited to finally announce this programme and get going with it,” says Hand. “It’s been a long time coming – I’ve been working on this project for over a year. I’m very grateful and proud to have been involved since we started testing the car.”
“We’ve been out on the track with the car a lot. When I first drove it, I really liked it. It’s one of those cars that just suits my driving style. I knew that right away. I think we will have many great years with this car.”
Müller added: “I am happy, honoured and grateful to be part of this fantastic programme with Ford Performance and Multimatic. We’ve been working on the new car for quite a while and I can’t wait to get going and race. I’m excited to be racing with my buddy Joey again; we’re good friends and have had a lot of success together. Daytona is just around the corner, so let’s get it on!”
Only Rockenfeller is from out of town. He is a regular driver in the GTP class at JDC Miller Motorsports this season in a Porsche 963 (there is a link here to the current Ford project via the Multimatic chassis) and was firmly involved in the NASCAR Le Mans project. He once raced against his three teammates, eventually serving as Corvette Racing’s Endurance driver from 2016 to 2019 – the Ford GT’s four years in the GTE class.
Together with Tincknell, he will pilot the other Ford Mustang GT3 based on the Dark Horse model. “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to join Ford at this stage in my career. I’m looking forward to being part of a new programme with a new car,” said the 2013 DTM champion. “I’ve raced the Ford GT a lot. So I know what a strong organisation I’m coming into. “
Mustang entries in Europe as early as 2024
Like Rockenfeller, Harry Tincknell also has an excursion into the world of Porsche prototypes behind him – or rather still running: He competes in the 963 for Proton Competition in the WEC, but he feels right at home again at Ford: “I’m very happy to be back at Ford, where the family feeling runs through the whole organisation.”
“I’m working with my race engineer from the Ford GT days, and many of the team are old friends from that time and subsequent Multimatic racing programmes. I’m looking forward to working with Rocky. When I raced in European Formula 3 in 2013, we competed as part of the DTM. That was the year he won the title there. Now to race at the same level as him is surreal when I think back to those days. “
Welcome Dinamic GT to the FordMustang family, as our first Mustang GT3 Customer Racing Team competing in @GTWorldChEu in 2024.
Tune in to watch this pony stampede around some of the best tracks in Europe. BredtoRaceFP pic.twitter.com/zbqPouQXIT– Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) October 1, 2023
Ford has already sold several customer cars of the Mustang GT3. Proton will compete in the LMGT3 class in the WEC. And Dinamic GT has ordered two cars for involvement in the GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe and plans to compete with them in both the Sprint and Endurance Cup.
“We are very excited to embark on this exciting project and put our 58 years of global Mustang racing heritage and performance up against the best manufacturers in the world,” said Mark Rushbrook, Head of Ford Performance Motorsports.
“We welcome Joey and Dirk back to the Ford family after several successful years in the GT programme. Combined with Harry’s four wins in Ford’s GT programme and Mike’s impressive racing experience and career, this puts us in a strong position for the Mustang GT3’s debut season. “
