TINCKNELL: Progress Produces First Podium for Mustang GT3

By: Harry Tincknell

It feels good to be back on a race podium, representing the Blue Oval. It has been a while!

We came away from our last IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at VIR pretty happy with our P2 finish and the progress we are making with the Mustang GT3. This was the first IMSA podium for the new car but what was great about it is that we were challenging for the win throughout the race.

Testing at VIR just before race week gave us a real boost. The track was fresh in our minds and we knew where to start with set up so the moment we hit the track we were on the pace.

VIR is one of the best tracks in the world, a mini Nordschleife in many respects. It’s a place where the driver can make a real difference, balancing on the edge of speed and disaster. This means finding your set up direction quickly is crucial.

After coming out fast, all we had to do was keep building on what we’d found. Qualifying third was our best of the year and it was awesome to see Proton Competition’s Mustang GT3 take pole in GTD.

Mustang was performing across the board, from GT4 wins to a strong qualifying performance in GT3. It’s clear we’re making strides and sharing data to lift everyone’s game.

On a personal level, I felt I could’ve qualified even higher but getting held up on my best lap only motivated me more for the race. Starting third gave me the inside line into the first turn, and I made a decisive move to take second.

From there, we played it smart, keeping pace with the leader and conserving fuel.

We closed in many times but this was a GT-only race so there weren’t many chances to pass [the addition of prototypes can provide the GT cars with overtaking opportunities by disrupting a car’s exit from a corner, meaning the following GT can get a good exit and a run on the car they are chasing].

I really enjoyed my stint and I handed it off to Rocky, and he held second to the end, even through a tense last few minutes with a safety car.

Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports have been pushing hard all year, and it was satisfying to get the result we’ve been working towards.

Crossing the line was a special moment. I remember our No. 1 mechanic, Lewis Jones, saying, “I’m saving my tears for the first win,” but I could see that his eyes were glistening.

The mechanics were pumped, hugging each other so it felt like scoring the winning goal for your team.

Looking back from Daytona to now, the difference is night and day. We’re still scratching the surface, but we’re learning fast, even against cars that are years ahead.

The fact that the Mustang ran strong across the board shows we’ve got a versatile car, which bodes well for the future.

While it’s great to have the pace and now a podium, we’re still hungry for that first win. That’s what I love about this team—they always want more from this Mustang. I can’t wait until the day we make our No. 1 mechanic cry!