2028 IMSA GTP entry still a possibility, says Ford’s Rushbrook

Ford Racing has held steadfast to its target of bringing its upcoming LMDh prototype to IMSA no earlier than 2028, even as a one-off entry at that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

That’s according to Mark Rushbrook, Global Director of Ford Racing (pictured above), who spoke with the media about the team’s upcoming top-class future ahead of today’s IMSA race in Detroit – right down the road from Ford Motor Company’s headquarters in Dearborn.

“For 2027, we’re committed to the full season in WEC. That’s all we’re going to be able to do,” Rushbrook admitted. “For 2028, it’s wide open.

“There would be a lot of sense, for sure, the 24 Hours of Daytona would be of interest. Even if it’s a one-off race, or an opportunity to do the Endurance (Cup). But again, we’re so focused on development right now, with engines running on the dyno, literally as we speak, to the test and shakedown that we need to do.

“We need to start the 2027 WEC season, see where we are, and then see what makes sense for 2028 and beyond.”

His comments come a few weeks after Rushbrook last spoke openly about Ford’s IMSA GTP prospects at the WEC meeting at Spa-Francorchamps. There, he was slightly more dismissive of the prospect.

“When we look at IMSA, we’ve got so much presence there already,” he said at Spa. "You look at the last two race weekends we had, over 30 Mustangs racing in three different series throughout the weekend. I don’t know that we need more Ford presence than that, and we’re able to do it as a factory (in GTD Pro). It’s a wonderful series, great tracks, great competitors, but we don’t see as much need to go there with Hypercar.”

Rushbrook did however make it clear that Ford could compete in the big IMSA Endurance Cup races, such as the Rolex 24. “Is there an opportunity to do the Daytona 24 Hours in 2028 or 2029, of course? But I’m not saying ‘yes,’" he said.

Ford Racing's chief has acknowledged the recent upheavals in the driver transfer market, in particular the pending hiatus of the Acura Meyer Shank Racing IMSA GTP program – a decision that could also have implications on the manufacturer’s plans to one day race in the category.

“There are drivers today that we did not believe would be available three months ago,” he said. “So we’re definitely talking to different people, different drivers in recent weeks that we didn’t expect to.”

As for the prospect of a reunion with Michael Shank and his team, which actively seeks to stay in IMSA after Acura’s exit, Rushbrook added: “We love Mike Shank. We’ve raced with him in the past, we’ve had success with him. I was so happy for him last week in Indianapolis, and exchanged messages with him, of course. If we do come to IMSA, then MSR would be a team that we would talk to.”

MSR would then join a list of interested parties that already includes NASCAR team RFK Racing, whose co-owner Brad Keselowski has openly expressed a desire to run the new Ford prototype if it comes to race in IMSA.

For now, Ford Racing’s commitments to IMSA will include its factory-run GTD Pro team run in conjunction with Multimatic, and customer programs such as Gradient Racing and Myers Riley Racing in GTD.

“Racing in IMSA is very important for us,” Rushbrook affirmed. “I do want to clarify, does GTD Pro alone fulfill it? Not necessarily. But it is the combination of having GT3 most weekends.”