In a dramatic late-race charge at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Frédéric Vervisch and Christopher Mies captured victory in the IMSA Monterey Sportscar Championship GTD Pro class driving the No. 65 Ford Racing Mustang GT3.
“The No. 65 Ford Racing Mustang GT3 team strategically put itself in a great position,” said Alex Allmandinger, Ford Racing Global Sports Car Manager. “The first ones to pit last is always a rewarding place to be. This is a special moment because we have historically struggled at this track; seeing the Evo package succeed here validates the immense development and testing time we invested in these upgrades.”
Seizing the lead with under 20 minutes of the race remaining, the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona class champions showcased unrelenting pace and precision of the Mustang GT3 to secure another milestone win for Ford Racing on one of North America’s most iconic circuits.
This is the fourth IMSA win, 16th global victory, for the Mustang GT3 since its 2024 competitive debut. The Evo package, which became available to global customers at the beginning of 2026, introduced revised aerodynamics, kinematics, and braking to provide more consistent drivability and performance.
“Chris outperformed all expectations in qualifying, and today we confirmed we have the speed to stay up front,” said Vervisch. “It’s unbelievable to see the improvements we’re making with the Evo package—especially from the vantage point of Victory Lane. I’m grateful to Ford Racing, Multimatic, and the entire team for the flawless execution.”
Mies recorded the third-fastest lap in Saturday’s qualifying session with a time of 1:21.572. The No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3, driven by factory drivers Dennis Olsen and Ben Barker, advanced three positions to finish sixth in Monterey. Ford ranks fourth in the class championship with its homecoming race, the Detroit Sports Car Classic, scheduled next on the IMSA calendar, May 29 – 30.
“It feels great. We had a great qualifying session yesterday, starting third in our class,” Mies said. “The team did an amazing job all weekend – our Mustang GT3 felt incredible from the first practice onward. To deliver a race win to this team is incredible, because it’s so well-deserved. We’re back where we belong.”
