Helio, Dario go for history at the Indy 500

By May 25, 2013, 2:30 PM EDT
0 Comments

When it comes to their thoughts on becoming a four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, Helio Castroneves (pictured, right) and Dario Franchitti (pictured, left) couldn’t be more different.

Castroneves, the gregarious Brazilian that has become famous at Indy for his joyous fence-climbing victory celebrations, is clearly humbled by his accomplishments at the Brickyard. That said, his humility isn’t completely overpowering. In fact, he approaches the subject of a potential fourth victory in the “500” with what appears to be a mix of anticipation and awe.

And he certainly appreciates his little race with Franchitti to join the four-time winners’ club, one of the bigger storylines going into Sunday’s race.

“I like [the pressure],” he said on Thursday. “I believe it pushes me and it pushes everyone [on the team]. It’s [Franchitti’s] first time and our third or fourth time to be in this position [to win a fourth Indy 500] and I think having competition makes you better.

“I feel that not only myself but the entire Penske team wants to bring it home before they bring it home.”

As for Franchitti, the laid-back Scotsman who has primarily made his mark on Indianapolis in more recent years, he has always been reluctant to discuss where he thinks his place in history may be. When one takes into account his three “500” wins and his four IZOD IndyCar Series championships, one assumes that Franchitti’s place is rather high up already.

But he’s still wary to put himself alongside his heroes of Indy: Drivers such as four-time winners A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser, as well as others like his fellow Scot Jim Clark and Dan Gurney.

“It’s always weird to get involved,” said Franchitti. “There’s something not quite right about feeling in the conversation. I view them on the pedestal.”

Still, while he isn’t as effusive as Castroneves on talking about his achievements at Indy, he is still thankful for the the opportunity he gets every May to be in one of the world’s most iconic sporting events.

“I’ve said it before, but the more you do it, the more you appreciate it,” Franchitti said. “First year [at Indy], I was like, ‘What’s the big deal?’ Then I finished the race and I was like ‘Yeah, I get it.’ [The feeling has] increased year by year.”

Castroneves and Franchitti have had relatively quiet months of May (the former starts 8th on Sunday, while the latter goes from 17th), but all of that is about to change as the spotlight heads squarely towards them. History at Indianapolis is on the line and everyone, from the diehards to the casual onlookers, will be keeping an eye on their progress on Sunday.

This year’s race marks the first since 1987 that will see two three-time winners attempt to join Foyt, Mears and Unser in one of racing’s most exclusive clubs. Castroneves and Franchitti may have different viewpoints on what it would mean to ascend to that legendary status, but both men will give everything they have to get there.

Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
2 Comments

LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).