Britain’s Richard Westbrook is one of two Europeans who will drive the all-new Ford GT in the 2016 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the U.S.
In the video below, Westbrook talks about his first time behind the wheel of the GT race car, and his hopes for the season ahead.
Westbrook, who takes the reins of the No. 67 Ford GT along with Australia’s Ryan Briscoe, has raced sports cars for nine years. In 2009, he won the FIA GT2 Championship, and in 2011, he signed with Chevrolet as a factory driver and spent the next five years driving for the manufacturer as part of both their GT and prototype programs. To date he has recorded eight wins, including the 2013 12 Hours of Sebring, the 2014 and 2015 Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, and eight poles.
"I’m a big fan of the history of sports car racing and I know what a big deal it is for Ford to come back to sports car racing in this manner, with a team like Chip Ganassi Racing," he said.
"It’s amazing to be part of. It feels pretty surreal right now, but I’m enjoying every minute of it. We’re united. We have one goal and that is to win with Ford in the IMSA championship. The only way we’re going to do that is if we work together."
Born in 1975, Westbrook lives in Bath, England, and is married to wife Jessica, with whom he has two daughters - Amelia and Laurel. When’s he’s not racing, he enjoys golf, squash, and spending time in the kitchen cooking.
