Ford CEO Jim Farley has more than just a passing interest in racing, and he's proving that fact once again by entering next weekend's inaugural IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at Daytona International Speedway.
The event forms part of the Roar Before the Rolex 24, and although the focus at Daytona will be on WEC hypercars, we're pretty excited to see what Farley can do too. The speed fanatic will be piloting a Ford Mustang GT4, but unfortunately, he'll be in an S550, not one of six 2024 Ford Mustang race car variants that will compete globally.
Farley's example will be run by Multimatic Motorsports in the GSX class, and the occasion will mark his IMSA racing debut.
The 15-car GSX class in which Farley will be competing is made up entirely of GT4-spec vehicles from six different manufacturers and seven different models. Among them is the G82 BMW M4 GT4, which is also making its IMSA debut and will compete alongside the F82 M4 GT4, a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, a Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R, a Mercedes-AMG GT4, and an Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
The VP Racing Challenge begins on Friday, January 20, when practice sessions get underway. Qualifying takes place the following morning, with Race 1 taking place at 2:05 PM EST and Race 2 starting at 12:20 PM EST on Sunday.
This will be a fun outing for Farley, who thoroughly enjoys speed. But more importantly, this will help put the Mustang name on everyone's lips as it looks to take on the entire racing world. The upcoming seventh-gen Mustang in its various guises will compete in GT3, GT4, NASCAR, and NHRA Factory X racing, and a good result next weekend will set the tone for the new arrival that will be unleashed soon.
Speaking in an interview with Road & Track earlier this year, Farley said: "We don't have to buy a Super Bowl ad for Mustang because we're going to be out there on the track, every weekend, all around the world. People will see that we put our money where our mouth is."
With an entry into F1 also rumored to be in the cards, the Blue Oval is setting itself up as a serious threat to the established order of the sports car hierarchy.
