Q&A With Ford Performance Junior Team Drivers at Le Mans

Ford Performance will showcase its single-make Mustang Challenge series internationally with the inaugural Le Mans Invitational in support of this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a packed grid, which includes all six of Ford Performance’s Junior Team Drivers.

While all six divers, Robert Noaker, Jenson Altzman, Marco Signoretti, Erik Evans, Nathan Vanspringel and Sam Paley have been competing in Ford machinery in various race programs around the globe, this weekend marks the first time the Blue Oval’s Junior Driver Team will share the grid since Ford’s driver development lineup was officially announced in January.

With many of the six driving Ford’s Mustang Dark Horse R for the first time this weekend, Sportscar365 caught up with five of the six drivers during the Le Mans race week to find out more about what this event means for their careers, the Junior Drivers going head-to-head for the first time, and how they view their roles representing Ford on the global stage.

What does it mean to get the opportunity to drive at the Circuit de la Sarthe, and what does this do for your careers going forward?

Marco Signoretti: “Growing up watching Le Mans. The Steve McQueen Le Mans movie on repeat. My dad’s always been a sports car racing fan and got me into sports car racing, and I’ve always watched it. It’s just special to be going down the Mulsanne yesterday with regular traffic and today going down it with around 40 Mustangs. It’s pretty awesome.

“Going forward, it’s so special. It’s very limited to run here, so any seat time here is super valuable. It’s pretty hard to attain any other way, so it’s a great opportunity with Ford.

“Between the ACO and WEC and IMSA, sports cars are in such a golden age right now, and GT3 is ultra competitive. My dream is to be in the big race, the big 24 [Hours of Le Mans]. But it’s a bit easier having driven a track like this. Maybe it increases my odds.”

Robert Noaker: “It’s one of those bucket list tracks where there really aren’t opportunities to actually drive it. This track is pretty locked down in terms of what can actually come run.

“To be able to do it and to be able to do it in a car I’m familiar with, and to have Ford Performance behind me, and to be able to use the simulator and have my assigned mentor of Mike Rockenfeller, and then having the European guys like Andy Priaulx here actually on-site. Both of them, in their own right, are so successful at this track, and to be able to lean on them is a huge help.

“I put it up there with the Nurburgring. When a team is looking for drivers, they are obviously going to go for the ones that have experience at that niche track. Being able to run here and get laps and start to learn the nuances of the track and those little details.

“Down the road, I can say, ‘Hey, I have experience here and I might be able to help.’ This is my first time dealing with Slow Zones and Virtual Safety Cars. It’s something that’s very popular in Europe but isn’t something that’s really used in the U.S.. Just to experience what that is like here so that if I ever do more European racing, I know what to expect.”

What is it like to get to drive a race car you’re not as familiar with and get seat time in a variety of Ford machinery?

Erik Evans: “It’s been awesome. I’ve tested everything from the GT3 to the Dark Horse, and the GT4 as well. To get the experience in all different types of machinery is second to none. Being able to drive all of the different Ford chassis in each class is really cool.

“Obviously, coming to Le Mans: anyone who is anyone in racing or knows anything about racing dreams of coming here. Especially getting to drive it. I’m sure for all of us, it’s a dream-come-true to drive this track and hopefully will prepare us for when we’re all here in GT3 at some point.”

Nathan Vanspringel: “It’s my first experience here with the Dark Horse R. It’s nice to learn. We are learning each day. It’s a bit different than the GT4, but we’ll take it step by step. There are a lot of things to do to improve.

“The car balance is pretty good. We also have a great engine. The V8. We have the horsepower so everything was nice.

“To drive at Le Mans, for my first time here, was an unbelievable experience. I just need to find a great combination with the car, the track and myself.”

Signoretti: “Coming from GT4, it’s a bit different with the stick shift. There’s a bit more weight to it and less aero. I think the more you can drive, the better. Sure it’s a different car, but I would drive anything out there. I’d drive a little Ford Escort or a vintage race just to gain that experience.”

How much does it mean to have been selected to represent the Ford Performance brand?

Vanspringel: “Honestly, for me, it’s an honor because my father works a lot for Ford. He has some dealerships in Belgium. So far it’s been a dream-come-true. I’m just proud. I want to fight and be the best version of myself to put Ford at the top level.

“I’m proud. I’m very proud about that.”

Jenson Altzman: “People look up to our position and they know that there is somewhere for them to go within the Ford Performance ladder. A lot of these Mustang Challenge drivers and Mustang Cup drivers want to be in our shoes just as much as we want to be in Mike [Rockenfeller] or Andy [Priaulx]’s shoes. It’s more the role we represent. We give those guys a sense of hope, just like Mike and Andy give us that sense of hope too.”

What is it like to be on track with all of your fellow Ford Performance Junior Driver Team members for the first time?

Altzman: “It’s a riot. Being on track is fun, but we’ve only been together as a unit and as a team once before, and we didn’t know who each other was. So we’ve all been able to form relationships over the last five months, and now we all get to hang out as friends because we all know each other.

“I think just being back together is a lot of fun. Getting to compete is a different thing. We’ll all be gunning for Robert.”

Evans: “It gives us this opportunity to actually race against each other, which I didn’t think would ever happen because we all race in different classes in different series around the world, on different continents. It’s a really cool opportunity to, for at least one race, to get to see who has bragging rights.

“I’m sure that’s never going to be let go in the history of this program, who wins this race out of all of us. It’s just really cool that we actually get the opportunity to actually race. We’ve all become friends over the past couple of months and just get to hang out and be boys.”