Ford salutes its racing history while looking to add some more to it at Petit Le Mans

It’s a special time for Ford Racing in sports car racing. Its factory effort in GTD Pro is fresh off a win at Indianapolis, and the FIA WEC Hypercar test program is in full swing, all as it celebrates the 125th anniversary of the first-ever Ford race car, “Sweepstakes,” and its victory in a 10-mile race in Michigan on Oct. 10, 1901, with founder Henry Ford at the controls.

As part of its year of reflection, Ford’s two factory GTD Pro Mustang GT3s will carry a special livery for IMSA’s showpiece Petit Le Mans this weekend, resembling “Sweepstakes.” But Ford being Ford, putting together a basic tribute livery wasn’t enough. It glows in the dark with “Glow Pony 2.0,” features intricate historical details and will be paired with special driver suits that resemble Henry Ford’s original racing attire. The racing department also got in touch with the Heritage division and organized a rare outing for “Sweepstakes” from the museum, for a photo call and road run with a Mustang GT3 in the build-up to this weekend’s race.

“For us, it’s such a big moment in history,” says Scott Bartlett, Ford Racing’s manager of on-road racing and product marketing, who took the idea and made it a reality. “We’ve been trying to beat the drum over the past year for 125. We’ve been trying to figure out what we can do that’s shocking, that’s a single statement to portray our history.

“The reason why Henry raced in 1901 is to prove his technology and showcase what he was made of, and he knew motorsports was the best platform to do that.”

The lightbulb moment came last year. “It was when we were delivering the Riley Myers car at the (Henry Ford) museum, opposite the ‘Sweepstakes’ exhibit,” Bartlett explains. “And I kept looking over at the ‘Sweepstakes’ exhibit as I was pulling the covers off, I felt it could be the next crazy idea to really help everyone understand 125 years of Ford Racing. This is the easiest way to visualize that. 

“It took a bit of convincing to Ford leadership to get that livery on the car,” he admits. “They wondered how I would get black, gold and red onto a Ford Racing car that’s supposed to be all-blue, as visually, it’s a departure from how we normally show up.”

Applied to the Mustang GT3, it really works and will almost certainly attract plenty of attention amongst fans on-site at Road Atlanta and around the world during one of sports car racing’s most prestigious events.

“We worked with our design team and basically looked at what the key elements and attributes of ‘Sweepstakes’ were that we could bring over,” Bartlett says of the livery design process. “The biggest challenge was the red wheels and white tires. The white tires are missing, but we wanted to bring the red accent into the car. The gold trim is also there; it represents the gold piping across the car. We went through five or six design iterations, but we had internal forums to review them. 

“After a few revisions, it worked. And we even added ‘H Ford’ as a driver name on the B pillar, and used one of the first Ford Motor Company logos on the hood and deck lid. 

“Then there’s the ‘Glow Pony’ (which illuminates at night), which has been transformed. It’s always been a pony outline; now it’s set up with the American flag, as it’s 125 with Ford Racing and 250 for America. With Ford being voted the most iconic American brand by Time Magazine, it’s something we’re very proud of, and we want to highlight that connection with America’s race team.

“It was a huge group effort. Everyone got inspired.”

The road run at Grosse Pointe, a mile or two from the race track where Henry Ford’s race in “Sweepstakes” took place to launch the livery, was another inspired decision from Ford Racing. It showcased the technological progress the company had helped drive.

“I wrote to Edsel Ford (II) to explain that in 30 years of doing this I’ve never done something so exciting,” says Ted Ryan, Ford Motor Company archives and heritage brand manager. “’Sweepstakes’ was so critical to what became Ford Motor Company two years later. It was the one time he raced, and having ridden on ‘Sweepstakes’ now, I know why he only did it once!”

This weekend is not only an occasion for Ford to celebrate its glittering past, but also a chance to win a championship or two. The No. 65 Mustang of Chris Mies and Fred Vervisch, joined by Ford Hypercar driver Seb Priaulx this weekend, sits fourth in GTD Pro, 124 points off the leaders at Corvette Racing, with a mathematical chance of the title. Ford Racing also ranks second in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship manufacturers’ standings, just 68 points back from the lead.

“What an incredible story it would be to bookend 125,” Bartlett muses. “We started the 125 with a win, and to bookend it with a championship… I don’t want to jinx it; I know it’s a tight race and there’s a lot of opportunity for others, but for us it would be a Cinderella story.”