SH Rallycross confirms Jeff Ward for Red Bull GRC season

By May 3, 2016, 11:28 AM EDT
Photo: SH Rallycross
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Jeff Ward, who ran a part-time Red Bull Global Rallycross campaign in 2015, will step up to a full-season effort in 2016 with the SH Rallycross team in the No. 07 MET-Rx Ford Fiesta ST.

It was also announced that 360fly, Inc., maker of the category-leading 360-degree video cam will be a major associate partner of the team in its 2016 championship bid as shown on car release image below.

Ward replaces Nelson Piquet Jr. in the team’s No. 07 car for the James “Sulli” Sullivan-led team.

The full release is below:

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SH Rallycross/DRR announced today that Motorcycle and Motorsports Hall of Fame driver Jeff Ward will pilot the SH Rallycross-DRR Ford Fiesta ST entry in its bid for the 2016 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship.

The team is also excited to announce that MET-Rx will be primary partner for its No. 07 Ford Fiesta ST for eight races, beginning with the season opener in Phoenix on May 21 and category-leading 360-degree video cam 360fly, Inc., will be a major associate partner for all 12 races providing fans exclusive in car test and behind scenes footage throughout the season.

“We’re stoked to have MET-Rx and 360 FLY on board as major partner’s for the 2016 Red Bull GRC Championship. These guys have incredible dedication to producing products that no doubt will resonate with the millennial audience of GRC,” said SH Rallycross/DRR owner James “Sulli” Sullivan

Commenting on Ward, Sulli said, “Being able to secure Jeff Ward to pilot the MET-Rx machine for us in 2016 is really exciting. Simply put, Wardy is an animal, this guy is lit up. When I watched him in his GRC debut in 2015, I wanted him racing for us. Our whole team will benefit from the amount of multi-discipline experience he has and I expect we will compete for wins with him driving.”

Ward is a member of both the Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. He is a three-time X Games medalist (two gold), has four top-five Indianapolis 500 finishes, two Super Moto championships and seven AMA Motocross championships. The 2016 season will be his first full-time Red Bull Global Rallycross season, after making his series debut in 2015 with three starts.

“I’m super excited to be able to race for SH Rallycross/DRR and have the support of MET-Rx during the 2016 Red Bull GRC season. The team has proven it can win and compete for the championship and I look forward to helping bring them even more success,” said Ward.

In addition to the season opener at Phoenix Race I, MET-Rx will be the primary partner at Phoenix Race II on May 22; Dallas on June 4; Daytona Race I, June 18; The Base I and II on July 2 and 3; New Jersey on August 28; and the season finale in Los Angeles, Race II, on October 2.

Mike Messersmith, Vice President of Marketing for MET-Rx, said, “MET-Rx recognizes the preparation and dedication that goes into winning in the Red Bull Global Rallycross Series. Championing this preparation is what MET-Rx is all about – our portfolio is designed to help the modern athlete nourish and love their inner monster and to provide them with the necessary tools to get to the next level of their sport and go out onto the track ready to dominate.”

SH Rallycross/DRR is entering its fourth season of Red Bull Global Rallycross competition and third full season (ran one race, the X Games Los Angeles in 2013). The team has finished fourth in the championship standings the last two seasons. In 2015, the team had its best season with four podium performances, including a win in Washington D.C. It was the only Red Bull Global Rallycross SuperCar team to make every main (final) event.

Ford Mustang GT3 test has Austin Cindric dreaming of Daytona: ‘I want to drive that car’

By Mar 22, 2023, 2:30 PM EDT
Cindric Ford GT3 test
Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
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Austin Cindric wasn’t the “mystery” test driver behind the wheel of the new Ford Mustang GT3 at Sebring International Raceway, but the Team Penske driver desperately wanted to be.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, an amateur sports car driver himself, made the big reveal via a Tuesday tweet that provided the first video evidence of the GT3 Mustang on track.

“I’ve watched the video in question about a million times,” Cindric said Wednesday during a Ford Performance Zoom news conference to promote NASCAR’s first road course weekend of the season at Circuit of the Americas. “Definitely exciting times for sure. I want to drive that car. It suits my experience level and also the relationships that I have.”

Ford will enter the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next season with its GT3 Mustang, entering a two-car factory effort (that will be managed by Multimatic) in GTD Pro and making customer cars available in the GT Daytona category.

That increases the likelihood of seeing more NASCAR drivers crossing over to IMSA. Cindric has been the only full-time Cup driver in the Rolex 24 at Daytona the past two years, but Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook has said the GT3 Mustang will provide more opportunities.

Ford has used its GT4 Mustang as a NASCAR driver development tool in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Harrison Burton and Zane Smith combining to win the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in January.

“We’re excited about the Next Gen car and the new architecture there and the similarities between that car and GT3 and even GT4 cars,” Rushbrook said at the announcement of the Ford GT3 program in January 2022 at Daytona. “We think it’s a great opportunity and to do be able to do that in a 24-hour race and get NASCAR drivers even more time is something we need to consider taking advantage of that opportunity.”

Given his sports car background, Cindric probably still would be in the Rolex 24 regardless. He has eight IMSA starts since the 2017 season opener at Daytona, racing a Lexus RCF GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT category. The 2022 Daytona 500 winner made his second LMP2 start this year with Rick Ware Racing.

But Cindric’s preference naturally would be in a Ford, particularly with sports car racing enjoying convergence and crossovers in both GT and prototype racing.

“It’s an exciting time in GT racing, just as it is now for prototype racing with a lot of new regulations and manufacturers building new GT3 cars,” he said. “And also the opportunity with WEC (the World Endurance Championship) and Le Mans and how that all lines up for that category of car. It’s definitely an exciting time. I want to be as much of a part of that as possible.”

Though those odds seemingly will increase with multiple Ford entries in the Rolex 24 field next year, Cindric said NASCAR drivers still have to put in the networking to land rides as he has in recent years.

“Now how (the GT3 Mustang) relates to specifically NASCAR drivers and how often they want to be in the Rolex, could it be an influence? Absolutely, as far as the tie-in with the manufacturer,” Cindric said. “But the challenge and the drive and the logistics of getting an opportunity for a race like the Rolex 24 will be just as challenging as it always is to find your one-off ride for the race. At least from my experience, that’s what I still anticipate.”

It turned out the “mystery” test driver wasn’t from NASCAR (Farley revealed the driver to be 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Joey Hand after a fan asked whether it was Joey Logano).

But Cindric believes there could be more Cup drivers — and perhaps himself — behind the wheel of Mustang GT3s in the future.

“There’s definitely more of a pathway than I think there would be before as far as Ford drivers are concerned,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to drive that thing. It’s obviously a great looking car. That’s the first box you’ve got to check. And it’s cool (to have) a guy like Jim Farley, no doubt he’s a racer just as much as he is steering the ship for Ford. It’s cool to see he’s just as excited as the rest of us about it.”