Ford’s NASCAR Drivers Back in Action for CTMP

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Ford’s NASCAR drivers will return to action in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge competition this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, in the third outing of the season for the pair of Multimatic Motorsports-run Ford Mustang GT4s.

NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series drivers Ben Rhodes, Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton, who all made their IMSA debuts at Sebring in March, will be joined by fellow Thorsport Racing driver Johnny Sauter this weekend in the GS class entries. 

Rhodes and Enfinger will team up in the No. 15 Mustang GT4, with veterans Crafton and Sauter in the No. 22 car.

Their outings at CTMP will come ahead of the Truck Series’ race at the 2.459-mile circuit in late August, which plays host to the second round of the Playoffs.

An initiative from Ford Performance, this year’s four-race program has been aimed to help give its NASCAR drivers additional road course racing experience.

Their final Pilot Challenge outing of the year will come in the season-ending round at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in October.

A total of 38 entries are set for Saturday’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park 120, highlighted by a 24-car entry in GS.

Among the entry changes since last weekend’s four-hour enduro at Watkins Glen include a second Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for Automatic Racing and a Mercedes-AMG GT4 entered by Canadian squad Atlantic Racing Team.

Fourteen TCR cars, meanwhile, are entered for the fifth round of the season, with the addition of a second JDC-Miller Motorsports Audi RS 3 LMS TCR for Mikey Taylor and reigning class champion Britt Casey Jr.

On-track action begins on Thursday with a promoter test day for Pilot Challenge competitors.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John