Ford Racing will retains its existing GTD Pro program for the 2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, locking in its driver line-up, team structure, and Mustang GT3 hardware. The decision follows a breakout 2026 campaign where both factory entries captured victories.
Ford’s two-car GTD Pro line-up remains fully intact for next year. Dennis Olsen and Ben Barker will return for their second consecutive season together in the #64 Ford Mustang GT3, while Frederic Vervisch and Christopher Mies will continue for a third straight season co-driving the #65 Ford Mustang GT3.
Why Ford’s 2027 IMSA lineup is unchanged
#64 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3: Ben Barker, Dennis Olsen
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Lumen via Getty Images
Though both Barker and Olsen have been semi-regular presences in the paddock since the mid-to-late 2010s, 2026 marked the first full IMSA season for both drivers. Barker reflected on adapting to the flow of American sports car racing compared to his extensive time in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“Yeah, it’s been super fun,” he said. “I kind of say sometimes that I almost learned to race again! Being in WEC for the best part of 10 years can be quite lonely in certain stints. In IMSA, the way that it works and with the safety cars, it bunches everything up. There’s a lot of energy saved, there’s a lot of strategy involved, which is to be honest, super fun. That keeps you on your toes.
“From a personal point of view, it’s been great to learn some of these tracks again. There’s some of them I’ve been to a long time ago, but to be honest with you, my memory is so bad that, I can’t remember a lot of them, so it was kind of relearning and getting to know the series again, and, obviously being with Ford Racing and Multimatic, who are awesome, you know, everyone there is great, it’s a real, like, family feeling, and we kind of share our successes with, with the sister car and ourselves. The unity’s good, and it’s good vibes going forwards.”
Heading into the 2026 season finale next weekend at Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Ford remains firmly in title contention. Vervisch and Mies hold fourth place in the GTD Pro Driver Championship, with Olsen and Barker right behind in fifth. Ford sits second in the Manufacturer Championship – just 68 points off the lead – leaving Ford in contention for the manufacturers’ title at the season finale.
Ford Mustang GT3’s IMSA evolution
#65 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3: Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Lumen via Getty Images
Ford credits much of its 2026 improvement to a major evo update introduced prior to the season, which targeted targeted aerodynamic, kinematic and braking performance. The package delivered quick results: Vervisch and Mies scored the car’s first victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May, while Olsen and Barker captured the win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September. The team also earned a double podium at the GT-only Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, finishing second with the #64 and third with the #65.
“The introduction of our evo package in 2026 brought race wins, podiums, and a genuine championship fight by Ford Racing and its Mustang GT3 program,” explained Alex Allmandinger, Ford Racing Sports Car Motorsports Program Manager.
“Carrying our strong momentum and current driver lineup into 2027 will immediately put America’s Race Team in position to contend for all three titles. The Mustang GT3 has evolved constantly since its 2024 debut into one of the grid’s fiercest competitors, and with top-tier drivers behind the wheel, that continuous development will pay off next season.”
#65 Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3: Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch
Photo by: Lumen for IMSA
Vervisch and Mies praised the evo package as soon as they got on the board in Monterey, with Vervisch noting the win came ahead of schedule.
“We were very excited for the Evo; one of our weak points was the fast corners in this car, so we worked a lot on it and did a big update,” Vervisch said during the Laguna Seca race weekend. “We expected quite a lot and unfortunately, we started the year with really good races but without the results that we wanted. Laguna has always been a difficult track for us so we still think it will not be easy. But from then on, we hope to be really competitive and fight for wins. I think Ford deserves it. They put a lot of effort in.”
Barker expanded on the evo package during a pre-Indianapolis media Zoom call: “I think the Mustang GT3 has been working really well this season. We’ve been developing it and honing it in on the Evo package. Let’s hope that that brings some good luck to us as well. Looking forward to getting back (to Indy) and getting the team back together.”
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