Rossi uses fuel strategy to gain ground on Dixon

By Aug 26, 2018, 12:37 AM EDT
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Much like the manner in which he won the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016, Alexander Rossi needed to utilize a big fuel-saving strategy in the final stint of the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 to finish ahead of title rival Scott Dixon and gain more ground in the championship.

Rossi pitted under yellow on Lap 178 – his Andretti Autosport teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay came to a halt after suffering a fuel pressure issue, forcing the yellow – and restarted third on Lap 183. But, Rossi would need to stretch the fuel in a big way to make the finish.

With Dixon already ahead of him on the track at the time – Dixon restarted second – and passing proving difficult at Gateway Motorsports Park, Rossi and the No. 27 Napa Auto Parts Honda team decided their best shot at finishing ahead of Dixon was to go into fuel conservation mode.

In doing so, Rossi dropped back as far as eighth in the final stint as others went by, and he even dropped off the lead lap at one point, but when everyone started pitting for splashes of fuel, Rossi was able to vault back up the running order.

Although he ultimately had nothing for Will Power, who ended up taking the win, the strategy did allow Rossi to jump ahead of Dixon for second, and Dixon was unable to catch and pass him in the final laps.

“It was a huge ask when Rob (Edwards), my strategist, came over the radio and was like, ‘Make this fuel number.’ I was like ‘Here we go again,’ Rossi quipped to NBCSN’s Robin Miller afterward. “I couldn’t have done it without a great Napa Andretti Honda. I don’t know that we had enough for Will, even if it was a flat out race to the finish, but the important thing is we beat Scott and closed the gap a little bit.”

Rossi, emphasizing the challenge of conserving fuel, added, “It’s hard when everyone’s going by you. I know that theoretically they’re supposed to come back (to you), but when you’re short-shifting and lifting everywhere and just going really slow, it’s difficult to keep that. But, Rob, as always, talked me through it and made sure I was focused on the prize.”

Dixon, meanwhile, came home third after dominating the first half of the race, leading 145 laps. However, he was unable to pass Will Power after the Team Penske driver got by him on Lap 150, and cycled out behind Rossi after a late splash of fuel.

Though he finished third and led the most laps, it was still a frustrating night for Dixon.

“A bit of a bummer. I’m a little disappointed in myself,” Dixon lamented to NBCSN’s Anders Krohn. “We kind of got into no man’s land a bit on fuel saving. The team were like ‘We should go’ and I’m like ‘Are you sure?’ and Will got that big difference there.”

Dixon added, “The PNC Bank car was strong all night. The fuel that we were burning early on in the race didn’t hurt us because we had a reset (with the Hunter-Reay yellow). Just bummed. We lost only three points there, but ultimately we want to be stretching it.”

With two races remaining in the Verizon IndyCar Series season, Dixon’s lead over Rossi stands at 26 points and has been slashed since Dixon won the Honda Indy Toronto in July – he exited that weekend with a 62-point lead over then second place runner Josef Newgarden, and a 70-point lead over Rossi.

In the three races since, Rossi has used two wins and a second-place finish to cut 44 points out of the lead.

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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
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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).