Ford Building 3.5-liter EcoBoost Engine for 2014 USCC Season

The inaugural season of the United SportsCar Championship seems like it will be very exciting. PorschePorscheGermany, 1931 > present43 models
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has announced a factory-supported entry in the GT Le Mans class, and FordFordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
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has just announced that it will supply a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 to Michael Shank Racing and its Riley Technologies Daytona Prototype chassis.

To promote the new car, the team will try to set a new speed record around Daytona International Speedway on October 9. The car will make its racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona on January 25 and 26 and race in the entire 12-event season.

The car also gets unique changes to the body with a new grill and headlights that are meant to make it look more like a Ford, and it will carry Ford branding.

For the 2014 season, Michael Shank Racing will be the only team with the Ford engine. Ford says that it is looking for other teams to use the engine in the future.

“This Ford EcoBoost engine includes all the newest technologies – direct injection, turbocharging and high efficiency. We’re looking at taking it to the next level through this sports car racing program,” said Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Racing Engines.

The Ford EcoBoost will be the only engine among the Daytona Prototypes that is turbocharged and is not a V8.

The car’s chassis is the same as the other Riley Technologies-supplied cars, but it gets unique body elements from Ford Racing that are meant to make it look more like a Ford.

“Ford Motor Company has taken today’s Daytona Prototype and injected into it unique Ford attributes and unique Ford design characteristics,” says  Jamie Allison, Ford Racing director.

The top speed run at Daytona aims to beat the 210.364mph lap by NASCAR champion Bill Elliott on February 9, 1987, in a Ford ThunderbirdFord Thunderbird Gen.9United States of America, 1983 > 19884 versions
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during qualifying for the Daytona 500. It is a speed record at the track that still stands. For the 1988 season, NASCAR instituted air restrictor plates on its cars to keep power down and lower speeds. Because other oval racing series like the IndyCar Series do not race there, the record has been able to stand for so long.

In the USCC, LMP2 cars and Daytona Prototypes will race together for the first time in the Prototype class. The other classes will be Prototype Challenge for the current ALMS LMPC cars, GT Le Mans for GTE class cars and GT Daytona for GT3 class cars.