Chevrolet and Ford announce IGTC manufacturer intentions

While their GT3 programs still need some effort to occupy a significant position in the global market of the class, Ford and Chevrolet decided it was the correct time to join the manufacturer title race in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, as both manufacturers are expected to cover most bases of the five race calendar.
 

From Ford’s side, their program was already with a big reach due to efforts outside the LMGT3 campaign  in the FIA World Endurance Championship, as Proton Competition covered the void left by Dinamic Motorsport as an emergency measure initially, but then a deal with Haupt Racing Team joined in and took this role, with campaigns in ADAC GT Masters, DTM, NLS and GT World Challenge Europe, along with Dollahite Racing having an Am Cup effort in GT World Challenge America.
 
Joining IGTC Manufacturers table means logically set up a Pro Cup lineup to compete for overall honors, and HRT will travel all the way to Bathurst to be the representative of the blue oval with a single Mustang GT3, with the German team logically being the main choice for the 24 hour races at Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. While no announcement is in place at the moment, Ford is expected to have a team at the home round at Indianapolis, while Suzuka remains the biggest doubt in the IGTC campaign.
 
It’s not only the case that Ford doesn’t have a team in Asia to count with for the Suzuka 1000km, there’s not even the possibility of this happening at the moment as the GT World Challenge Asia still needs to be announced, which might mean HRT traveling to Japan to cover this base, assuming they will do a full campaign under Ford’s blessing.
 
Chevrolet is in a similar position as Ford but has different voids to cover. While they will face off Ford and HRT at Bathurst due to JMR’s entry, which is certainly a treat for the Australian fans, the Malaysian team that competes with the Z06 GT3.R in GT World Challenge Asia is expected to appear at the Suzuka 1000km while a return to the 24 Hours of Spa is a possibility, with a Pro Cup car and a Pro-Am Cup entry having the Ibrahim brothers.
 
At Indianapolis, it goes to the same way as Ford, with a higher possibility that a local team will spearhead the effort, with the higher doubt being the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Chevrolet doesn’t visit the Ring since a long time, and with the permit rules being in action even for IGTC entries and bending to no one at all, there might be some gaps that neither TF Sport, Steller Motorsport, JMR or any other prospective team are able to fill.
 
The IGTC calendar starts with the Bathurst 12 Hour on 15 February, having 36 cars in total according to the first entry list released. Chevrolet and Ford are joined by BMW, Porsche, Mercedes and Ferrari in the quest for the 2026 manufacturers title.
 
IMAGES: SRO/JEP, Gruppe C Photography