Ford GTs finish 1st and 5th at MOSPORT Park

Ford GT wins at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
for 3rd straight IMSA win and 4th overall win
Race Results
TWO WINS IN TWO WEEKS FOR FORD CHIP GANASSI RACING
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Pit strategy, Michelin tires propel
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing to second win in as many weeks
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Fourth overall win for Ford GT
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, July 10, 2016
– Ford Chip Ganassi Racing earned its second win in two weeks behind a
brilliant pit strategy and the strength of its Michelin tires.
For the second race in a row, the No. 67 duo of Richard Westbrook and Ryan
Briscoe stood atop the winners’ podium, this time at Canadian Tire
Motorsport Park near Toronto. It’s their third win together and fourth
overall for the team.
“We had a good car. We didn’t have the fastest car,” said Westbrook, who
qualified and started the No. 67 at p3. “I think when you can come away
with the victory when you’re not the fastest car, it just shows you the
strength and depth we have at Ford Chip Ganassi Racing.”
The No. 67 chose to split with the GTLM pack and take only fuel on their
last pit stop, shortening their time on pit lane. Despite stopping, they
retained their lead and their faith in their Michelin tires paid off with
a win.
“It was a great call (to only take fuel on the last pit stop),” Westbrook
said. “Ryan had to do a hell of a job to hang on in the end and he did
great. We’re just delighted that we have this momentum. Winning does
become a habit they say, and it feels like it now. It’s pretty surreal.”
Westbrook and Briscoe teamed up for Ford GT’s first win at Laguna Seca in
May. Then it was their teammates’ turn, as Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and
Sébastien Bourdais finished first at the Le Mans 24. Watkins Glen saw
Westbrook and Briscoe return to Victory Lane at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of
The Glen.
“I don’t think we were the quickest car out there this weekend, but it was
great to get the win on strategy and consistency,” Briscoe said. “When we
pitted off-strategy before that, with an hour, 20 minutes to go, we
thought we’d go all the way to the end on those tires. We were out of the
window on fuel, but we thought if we caught some yellows and save fuel
we’d be able to make it. We got that short yellow, but that wasn’t going
to put us in the window on fuel. Everyone else pitted under green after
that. We saw we had the opportunity to take a splash of fuel to be safe
and come out with the lead still, with a little bit of a gap. The call the
team made was fantastic. I was just trying to hang on and it worked out.”
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