Olsen, Barker go full-time for Ford Multimatic IMSA GTD PRO team

Ford Multimatic Motorsports has announced a realignment of its two-car GTD PRO effort in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Dennis Olsen and Ben Barker move into full-time driving roles in 2026.

Olsen, who partnered with Christopher Mies and Frédéric Vervisch in the Ford Mustang GT3’s first global racing victory at Daytona last season, will go from Michelin Endurance Cup specialist to drive the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 for all 10 GTD PRO rounds. Barker, who was the Endurance Cup driver for the No. 64 car last season, will be his full-season co-driver.

Mies and Vervisch will continue to drive the No. 65 car, after finishing eighth in the 2026 GTD PRO standings.

Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx, who finished third in points, will become the new Endurance Cup drivers for Ford Multimatic Motorsports. Rockenfeller will join Olsen and Barker in the No. 64, while Priaulx will move to the No. 65 crew to join Mies and Vervisch.

Ford will introduce a new Evo version of the Mustang GT3 in 2026, which ran at the November IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona and will make its race debut in the Rolex 24 – featuring bodywork and platform updates.

Today’s announcement was made in an open letter written by Olsen, who will begin his first full season of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racing in 2026.

“Driving under the Daytona Beach welcome sign this time around brought back so many emotions. Last time I was here, I was standing on the roof of a Ford Mustang GT3 in victory lane having achieved a lifetime’s ambition. Daytona International Speedway holds so many special memories, but it also is our next challenge as we prepare for the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” Olsen wrote.

“I am looking forward to building on our successes – with Ben Barker and Mike Rockenfeller by my side, joined by Christopher Mies, Frédéric Vervisch and Sebastian Priaulx in the sister car to complete a strong Mustang GT3 roster in the GTD PRO class. Our first target is to leave Daytona with another Rolex watch!

“While last year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona was very emotional – filled with immense pressure and intensity to the final lap – there was a sense of calm returning for November’s IMSA-sanctioned test. For 2026, we will introduce the next evolution of the Mustang GT3, to kick-off the 125th anniversary of Ford Racing, and I will get to do that with some of my closest friends and teammates – our Ford family.

“It’s an honor to be representing Ford Racing and Multimatic Motorsports as a full-time driver in the No. 64 Mustang GT3 this season,” he continued. “While this will be my first complete season in IMSA, I know what to expect. I’ve been to most of the tracks already, except for Virginia International Raceway and the streets of Detroit.

“It is important to show that 'America’s Race Team' can win its home series. It’s also one of the most important markets for the brand, as the birthplace of more than 10 million Mustangs that have been delivered to customers globally.”

About the change in driver line-ups, Olsen added: “Some might ask, ‘Why change the formula?’ Here, we have a line-up of true championship contenders – united in maximizing the Mustang GT3. It’s not only for us, but also for everyone included in this project. We are here to showcase the updated Mustang GT3 and reward everyone’s hard work.

“Bringing the Mustang GT3 home to its first global victory was both an incredible experience and journey to get there. I became a father less than one month before the race; my wife and I welcomed Ellie into the world. Many people said that I’d lose a couple tenths of a second as a new father. I sure proved them wrong that weekend and rest assured, I aim to do that this season as a full-timer.

“We are going into January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona confident, because we have all the right pieces to build on our successes in the third year of the Mustang GT3. The target is – and always is – winning the championship.”