How a battle of two American titans will grip IMSA in 2024

Car manufacturing behemoths Ford and Chevrolet will fight it out across 24 hours at Daytona with their respective, and iconic, V8 muscle cars, the Mustang and Corvette. The key players in the gestation of the new GT3 Mustang and Z06 GT3.R discuss how they came about

Two of the biggest manufacturers in the world are finally turning up at the biggest motor racing party in the world. Ford and Chevrolet, two marques with rich racing pedigrees, are belatedly pitching up in GT3 with factory programmes in the 19th season of the category. Each is arriving with an iconic V8 muscle car: Ford with the Mustang; Chevrolet with the Corvette.

To say they go head to head for the first time on home ground in the IMSA SportsCar Championship’s season-opening Daytona 24 Hours isn’t quite right. That would be to ignore the nine other manufacturers represented in the GT Daytona classes this weekend.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 32nd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 75 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Autoweek, Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.