Ford Drivers Targeting GTD Pro Title After 2025 Rolex 24 Win

Photo: Wes Duenkel/Ford

Ford Multimatic Motorsports drivers Dennis Olsen, Fred Vervisch and Ben Barker have all expressed the collective goal of winning the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro title, following the Mustang GT3’s breakthrough first victory from 12 months ago.

Olsen, Vervisch and Christopher Mies gave the Multimatic-built GT3 car its maiden win in global competition in last year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, and are set for this weekend’s season-opener with a revised full season lineup and updated Mustang GT3 EVO.

While 2025 Rolex 24 class winners Vervisch and Mies are again paired up in the No. 65 entry, with newly named Ford Hypercar driver Seb Priaulx now completing the lineup, the No. 64 Mustang features the all-new full-time lineup of Olsen and Barker, who moved over from FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 competition.

Mike Rockenfeller, also announced as a Ford Hypercar driver alongside Priaulx and Logan Sargeant, completes the lineup in the No. 64 entry for the three long-distance endurance races.

“It’s super exciting to be back,” Olsen told Sportscar365. “It was a special feeling driving in (prior to the Roar) seeing the speedway again. It brings back emotions from last year.

“It was definitely a special moment for us. Coming back now doing the full season with Ben Barker is going to be mega. I’m really looking forward to it.

“We have such a great relationship, and having Rocky with us in the endurance races is just going to be perfect.

“I’m absolutely stoked to do a full season. I love IMSA; I love the championship and I love the tracks. We’re absolutely excited to fight.”

The second-biggest change within Ford’s factory GTD Pro effort is the Mustang GT3 EVO, which features significant updates compared to the first-generation model that debuted in 2024.

“We have a new evolution of our Ford Mustang GT3, which definitely should help us,” said Olsen.

“We’re obviously trying to back up the win from last year. That must be the target. But ultimately doing the full championship now, my focus is a little bit different.

“If we can get a win [here], great. We’ll take it with both hands. But otherwise, it’s focus on the points.”

Barker added:  “Any opportunity to win, we’re going to grab it. It’s a long race so we just have to stay out of trouble and tick our boxes and be there in the end.”

Vervisch admitted that last year’s Daytona win “relieved” a bit of the pressure within the overall program but they still head in with a single target in mind.

“We didn’t win the championship,” he said. “The 64 [car] was closer, but not there. That’s the clear target.

“You have the standout cars that are really strong from the shape they have, like the Ferrari and Corvette.

“But I think we proved in America that the Mustang can be competitive if everything falls into place.”

“A Bit of a Shame” for Barker to End WEC Streak

Barker, who has taken part in all but one WEC race since 2016, having been a mainstay in GTE-Am competition with GR Racing prior to becoming a Ford Racing factory driver in 2024, will not compete in the world championship this year as a result of his reassignment to the WeatherTech Championship.

“It’s a bit of a shame after ten years in WEC and not to do WEC will seem strange, certainly for Le Mans,” he said.

“I’ve got quite a connection with Le Mans and that race and have always been quite strong there.

“But IMSA is a new challenge. I’m really excited because IMSA is such a great place to be and the racing is so close.

“From a WEC standpoint, compared to IMSA, it’s just very different.”

Barker, however, is set for his first full season sports car program in a full pro driver lineup after much of his career came in leading Pro-Am driver lineups.

“I’ve done the odd race here or there but not a full season,” he said. “It’s going to be great to work with another pro. I’m looking forward to it.”

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