Ford name Franchitti's LM24 team-mates 15 | 03 | 2016

    FORD HAS CONFIRMED the drivers who will partner Bathgate's Marino Franchitti in this year's return to the iconic Le Mans 24-Hours in June.

    The 37-year-old Scot, who won the 2014 Sebring 12-Hours with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, will be joined by fellow Brits Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell in the No67 Ford GT.

    Guernsey-born Priaulx (41) is a three-times World Touring Car champion, and a race winner in last season's British Touring Car Championship with BMW.

    Tincknell (24), like Franchitti, has previous experience of Le Mans. The Exeter racer won the LMP2 class on his debut in 2014 behind the wheel of a Zytek-Nissan.

    Franchitti and Priaulx will contest all nine rounds of the World Endurance Championship, including Le Mans, in the Ford GT.

    In addition to driving the No67 Ford in the French endurance classic, Tincknell will join the duo for the season-opening Six Hours of Silverstone next month, and the Six Hours of Spa in May.

    "It's great to have our line-up for Le Mans and WEC confirmed," Franchitti, who completed a two-day test with his new car in Aragon, in Spain, last week, said.

    "Now I can't wait to get out on-track for the WEC opener at Silverstone, and really start our race build-up to Le Mans."

    Related: Franchitti — "I'm ready for the green light"

    Tincknell — who remains contracted to Nissan in 2016 and will also undertake a six-race European Le Mans Series campaign with JOTA Sport — was delighted to be joining Franchitti and Priaulx.

    “For me, Le Mans is the biggest race in the world," the Englishman said. "It’s one of the greatest tests of man and machine racing wheel-to-wheel for 24 hours in front of 250,000 fans which makes the atmosphere incredible.

    “I’m thrilled and proud to be involved in Ford’s new GT racing programme and the manufacturer’s historic return to Le Mans."

    Ford's return to Le Mans this year with a four-car assault marks the 50th anniversary of the car giant's 1-2-3 overall finish in the 1966 24-hours race.

    The team, in partnership with Chip Ganassi, also confirmed the line-up for its other three Ford GT race cars.

    German Stefan Mucke and Frenchman Olivier Pla will be joined by Ford development driver Billy Johnson in the No66 car, while former F1 racer and four-times IndyCar champ, Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais, will share the No68 car with German Dirk Muller and American Joey Hand.

    The final car in the foursome, sees Essex racer Richard Westbrook and Aussie Ryan Briscoe pilot the No69 Ford with Scott Dixon.

    The Kiwi, a former Ganassi Racing team-mate of Scot Dario Franchitti, is a four-times IndyCar champ and 2008 Indy500 winner.

    Related: Franchitti leads Ford return to Le Mans

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    Jim McGill

     

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