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Johnson joins Alegra Motorsports     for the 24 Hours of Daytona

Daytona Beach, FL - Former Factory Ford LeMans driver Billy Johnson joins Alegra Motorsports in the No.28 NanoProMT-sponsored Mercedes AMG GT3 for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Johnson joins Factory Mercedes AMG driver Maxi Buhk as well as Alegra regulars Daniel Morad and Michael De Quesada, who won the GT Daytona class together in 2017 in a Porsche GT3-R.

“I’m really excited to be driving for Alegra in the 24 Hours at Daytona,” Johnson said. “They are a great group of guys who know how to win this race.  We have a strong team, car, and driver lineup and will definitely be a contender in a highly competitive GTD field.  It's going to be one heck of a race.”

This also marks the return of NanoProMT to Daytona after sponsoring the No.68 Ford GT in the GTLM class in 2017.  "I'm really happy to have NanoProMT as part of this program" said Johnson.  "They've been an awesome technical partner and a part of my success in the IMSA series for many years.  They have amazing products and it's great to have them back!" 

The race starts 3:40pm EST on Saturday, January 30th.

Johnson starts a new YouTube Channel:
"One Lap Billy"

Focused on showcasing Billy Johnson setting lap times on the first lap that he's EVER driven various cars, this channel is made up of a bunch of videos taken from Billy's experiences at the race track, including setting "Benchmark" laps when he coaches a more advanced driver, which he uses to compare their laps to when analyzing data to make them faster.

Check out the video and Subscribe for future video releases.

Johnson coaches YouTuber "Speed_Phenom" in a 2020 GT500 Carbon Fiber Track Pack, then does a hot lap in a C8 Corvette at Chuckwalla Raceway

Billy Johnson Joins Russell Ward in the #4 Mobil 1/Techemet Mercedes AMG M4 GT4 at Road America

Road America, WI - Former series champion Billy Johnson is set for his IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge return this weekend at Road America.

Johnson, who won the 2016 GS title alongside Scott Maxwell, will sub for Indy Dontje in the No. 4 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the Road America 120.

It will mark Johnson’s first Pilot Challenge start since the season-opening BMW Endurance Classic when he was in one of Turner Motorsport’s BMW M4 GT4s.

He will share driving duties in Saturday’s two-hour round with team co-owner Russell Ward.

Dontje, who normally drives the Mobil 1-sponsored Mercedes, is taking part in the season-opening round of ADAC GT Masters, also with the HTP-Winward alliance, this weekend at the Lausitzring.
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A total of 33 cars are on the entry list for the third round of the Pilot Challenge season, with several other changes since the series’ restart at Sebring International Raceway earlier this month.
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https://sportscar365.com/imsa/impc/johnson-set-for-mpc-return-at-road-america/

Johnson Track Tests & Reviews Lamborghini Murcielago GT1 Race Car for AlphaLuxe.com

In a world where even race cars are succumbing to small displacement turbocharged engines, hybrids, and electric power in the name of efficiency and saving the environment, you don’t turn down an opportunity to shake down a 6.0L V12-powered Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT that raced in the FIA GT1 class and LeMans / ALM series. 

Read more about the car, the shakedown (this was the first time the car has been tracked in over a decade), and watch the in-car footage at:

https://alphaluxe.com/2020/04/alphaluxe-drives-lamborghini-murcielago-r-gt-gt1-race-car/

Johnson Reviews the Ultra-Rare Koenig C62 (Road-Legal Porsche 962 Race Car) on the Street & the Race Track for AlphaLuxe.com

It’s not every day that you get to drive an actual IMSA GTP race car on public roads to a racetrack, turn some laps, and then drive it back home.  But today was that day for me.  While “race car for the street” is often thrown around, this 1 of 3 (Chassis 001 to be exact) Koenig C62 makes most other uses of the cliché instantly irrelevant.  Why?  Because this chassis was at one time an iconic 1980s Porsche 962 race car designed to race in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and FIA Group C championships, then was converted by legendary German exotic car tuner Koenig Specials into a street legal supercar.

Read more about the history of this amazing car, what it was like to drive it in Los Angeles traffic, and how it performed on the race track at:

Track Review: 

​https://alphaluxe.com/2020/03/alphaluxe-drives-koenig-c62-porsche-962-the-drive/

History:

https://alphaluxe.com/2020/03/alphaluxe-drives-koenig-c62-porsche-962-the-background-part-2-of-2/

Billy Johnson Joins Aurora Straus and Connor Bloum in #95 Richard Mille Arch BMW M4 GT4

DAYTONA BEACH - ​Aurora Straus and Connor Bloum, teammates in the #95 BMW M4 GT4 run by Turner Motorsport, are elated to have professional racer Billy Johnson as a third codriver in this Friday’s upcoming BMW Endurance Challenge, the first of ten races in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Johnson is a seasoned veteran of the IMSA paddock, and no stranger to BMW or Turner Motorsport. In 2005, Johnson made his GT car debut in a BMW M3 for PTG Racing and ran with Turner Motorsport in the Grand Am series from 2011 to 2015. Since then, he has made a name for himself under the Ford brand, winning the (now) Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Championship in 2016 and driving the #66 Ford GT in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing at Le Mans from 2016-2019, winning the 6-Hours of Spa in 2018. As the Ford GT program came to a close, Johnson is seeking new opportunities for 2020.

“It’s great to be back in a BMW, especially since I got my start winning a scholarship as a Factory BMW Junior driver for the inaugural 2004 Formula BMW Championship. It feels verycomfortable to be back with Will and the whole Turner Motorsport team, who I've driven for inmany GT races over the years,” Johnson said. 

​“I'm excited to be partnered with two fast talents, Aurora and Connor and feel like we have a strong team, car, and driver lineup to take on Daytona. The competition in Michelin Pilot Challenge is always very fierce, and with a deep field it always makes for fantastic racing as a driver and for the fans. I always enjoy racing in this series. A huge thanks to Nick Longhi for helping organize this program, and to Aurora and Connor for the opportunity.”

Straus and Bloum are looking forward to having Johnson on board as they enter the first race weekend of the 2020 season.

“I am elated that Billy is driving with us this weekend. With the expertise of Turner Motorsport, the driving prowess of Connor and Billy, and the support of Richard Mille and Arch Capital Group, I’m anticipating a strong weekend for us,” Straus said. “I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so many talented veterans to the IMSA paddock as I make my debut in GT4 car full-time, and I’m looking forward to learning from Billy and the rest of the crew during our first four-hour race weekend.”

Johnson wins in his debut HSR race driving the 1974 Alegra Motorsports Porsche RSR at Daytona.

has Daytona Beach, FL - Billy Johnson wins in his debut HSR race at the famed Classic 24 Hour at Daytona driving the #158 Porsche 1974 RSR for Alegra Motorsports.

"These things are a blast!" said a joyous Johnson. "I've raced many modern 911s, but this was my first time driving a vintage 911.  I think there was some miscommunication with Carlos (De Quesada, Alegra Motorsports Team Owner), where I expressed excitement to drive the RSR in the practice session following his race.  Having qualified P2 in a field of competitive 911s, Carlos took my enthusiasm for wanting to do the actual race and told me to get suited up and race the car."

Having never turned a single lap in the vintage 911 RSR, which has no anti-lock brakes, no traction or stability control, no power steering, a 5-spd manual transmission, and legendary rear-engine handling dynamics, Johnson gridded up for the start of the race.

"I only had about 2 minutes to get acquainted in the car before we left the grid and started our 3/4 of  pace lap prior to the green flag. On the pace lap I had to learn the feel of the non-assisted brakes, lack of power steering, the extremely vague shifter, and the handling of the 911. I've raced a bunch of 911s over the years as well as a bunch of vintage cars, but never a vintage 911."

I figured there was a high likelihood of locking the brakes resulting in a (very bad) Turn 1, or missing a gear in the (very expensive) and high strung flat-6 engine.  Fortunately I didn't have any dramas in Turn 1, figured out the car in a lap, and made a pass for the lead.  Shortly after, the inexperience with the transmission and a 2-5 shift (instead of 2-3) found myself sitting P4.  Within another lap I resumed the lead and went on to winning the race with zero issues and A TON of fun.  I really feel like I was born in the wrong decade, these cars are a blast! (and drift quite well, I might add)".
​

Johnson makes his Blancpain World Challenge GT debut in the #22 Alegra Motorsports Porsche GT3R

West Palm Beach, FL - Billy Johnson returns to Alegra Motorsports and Porsche for remainder of the Blancpain World Challenge GT Championship.

"It's great to finally drive for Alegra Motorsports.  I was scheduled to drive with Daniel Morad & Carlos De Quesada in the Riley-BMW Daytona Prototype for the 12 Hours of Sebring back in 2016 before being announced as a Ford GT LeMans driver which prevented me from doing the 12 hour with the team" said Johnson.  "The Ford program was a dream come true, but I always felt like I had some unfinished business with Alegra."

Johnson shook down and tested the 2019 Porsche GT3R for Alegra Motorsports earlier this year prior to the start of the championship. 

​"I'm excited to be be back working with the team.  They are a great bunch of hard-working guys whose accomplishments speak for themselves.  I'm very thankful for Carlos, Tony, and Micheal for the opportunity and i'm really looking forward to co-driving with Danial (Morad)."

Johnson puts on a show at the Goodwood FOS in the Championship-Winning #22 Team Penske Ford Fusion

CHICHESTER, England - Billy Johnson returns to Goodwood, piloting the NASCAR Cup Championship-Winning No.22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford Fusion.

"Goodwood is always a fun event, but it was pretty special to drive Joey's Championship-winning Ford Fusion" said Johnson. "Team Penske is a powerhouse organization, and it was an honor to be allowed to drive their irreplaceable car sideways and put on a smoke-show for the British fans to give them a little taste of American motorsports".

Top-10 finish at Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, New York - Billy Johnson fills in at Kohr Motorsports in the No. 59 Mustang GT4 driving with Kenny Wilden and finish in the 10th position.

"I want to thank Kenny Wildend and Dean Martin at Kohr Motorsports for calling me up to drive their Mustang GT4 at Watkins Glen" said Johnson. "The Mustangs weren't the strongest this weekend but the racing is always so much fun in the Michelin Pilot Sportscar Challenge whether you're battling for the lead, or for 15th.  Hopefully the cars will be in a better position to battle for wins soon".

Johnson & Hoy WIN
British GT at Donington Park

DONINGTON PARK, England - Making his British GT debut, Billy Johnson teamed up with Olympic cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy to win at Donington Park driving the Pro/Am No.19 Multimatic Ford Mustang GT4.

After qualifying 3rd in class and 14th overall in the GT4 class, Johnson and Hoy move through the field to finish 4th overall and win the Pro/Am class.

"It's great to be back in a Multimatic Mustang and it was an honor to drive with an athlete as accomplished as Chris," said Johnson.  "Other than being one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, Chris is quite the wheel-man and has had a lot of success on 4 wheels as well as 2.  He had a strong opening stint and we were able to bring home the gold".

Racing Champ Billy Johnson Helped Tune New 2019 GT350

Billy Johnson knows racing. As a driver for the FIA World Endurance Ford GT and IMSA Mustang GT4 programs, Johnson has broad expertise in what makes for a great driver’s car. He worked with Ford Performance to dial in the Shelby GT350 for 2019.

https://themustangsource.com/new-2019-shelby-gt350-gets-new-tech-25931/

https://www.thedrive.com/news/21457/2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-aerodynamic-features-straight-from-the-gt500

Assisting with the aforementioned development was veteran race driver Billy Johnson, who's spent three years working with the team while also racing Ford GTs and prepping the Mustang GT4 race car, which he's campaigning this year. Billy apparently shares Randy Pobst's knack for articulating how a car feels and helping direct changes to make it feel better.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/ford/mustang/2019/2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-first-drive-review/

For 2019, Ford enlisted the help of professional race-car driver Billy Johnson to help identify where the two-time 10Best Cars winner could improve. 

https://www.caranddriver.com/ford/mustang-shelby-gt350-gt350r-2019

These changes for the 2019 model year were made with help from FIA World Endurance Ford GT driver Billy Johnson. Johnson is an expert on getting a car around a road course, so the Ford team tapped his experience on the track to make the fine-tuning adjustments on the 2019 GT350.

https://www.torquenews.com/106/2-key-changes-2019-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350
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“We had actually changed the strategy to change the capability so that we could change that proportioning and still do trail braking, so that we can get professional lap time better,” Widmann says of race driver Billy Johnson’s impact on the brake tuning. “But also the big thing was to get it more intuitive. So again, this vehicle is much more like flattering the driver and their capability and a comfort level on a track.”

Widmann continues, “That’s why we’ll have Billy drive and our guys drive, because we’ll jump Billy into like three different types of cars while he’s driving. So he’s really, really in tune as he jumps from car to car, because he uses the feel to place the car in its ultimately capability. We may have more lap time in that particular version than Billy does to get it for that at that lap time, but his impressions are so top-of-mind that he can explain what he feels as he goes in and out of a curve.”
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As a driver of both the Ford Performance FIA World Endurance Ford GT and IMSA Mustang GT4, Billy Johnson became involved in development driving several years ago. His experience in a broad range of S550s coupled with his knack for translating a vehicle’s behavior into words the engineers can work with, definitely benefitted the latest Shelby GT350.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/1905-2019-shelby-gt350-is-pure-performance-driving-experience/

6th place finish in final LeMans

LE MANS, France - For the fourth and final LeMans in GTE-PRO the No. 66 Ford GT finished in 6th place.

"It's been an honor to drive the No.66 for four straight years at LeMans with my awesome teammates Olivier Pla and Stefan Mucke," said Johnson.  "I'm proud of what the whole Ford Chip Ganassi Racing UK team has done over the years and how hard they have worked.  Unfortunately it was an up-hill battle all race long this year due to an unfavorable BOP that challenged all four factory Ford GTs.  It's been a very special program to have been a part of, and i'm looking forward to what the future brings."

P11 in the 1,000 miles of Sebring

SEBRING, Florida - After a strong 3rd place qualifying and running up front during the race, the No. 66 Ford GT went down multiple laps due to an electrical issue.

"It's great to be competing in the WEC in my home state of Florida," said Johnson.  "We were in contention for a podium, but unfortunately a mechanical issue put us laps down.  But we never gave up and continued pushing all the way to the checkeres."

Johnson finishes 5th in opening Michelin Pilot Sportscar Challenge
​race at Daytona.

DAYTONA, Florida - Billy Johnson makes his return to the (now) Michelin Pilot Sportscar Challenge series driving the No. 22 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 driving with Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric. 

"It's been a long time since i've been (allowed) in a Mustang" said Johnson. "It's great to be able to compete again in the MPSC (previously the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge) because the racing is always so good. Chase and Austin did a great job in their stints and despite having no top speed due to the current rules, which is crucial here at Daytona, we were able to race hard on the last restarts to be able to finish 5th, as the highest-finishing Mustang.

Bittersweet LeMans results in a 6th place finish and 4th place points.

LE MANS, France - After qualifying a respectable 3rd place for the start of the race, the No. 66 Ford GT remained near the front of the field until contact from a P2 car caused the GT to go off-road, damaging the suspension. Limping the car back to the pits and the repair cost the team a couple laps that could not be made up on track.

Despite this misfortune, the No. 66 team and crew never gave up and pressed on with competitive lap times, and without any further dramas, worked their way from dead last to finishing in the 6th position and earning 4th place points (due to 2 cars not racing in the WEC championship).

"I'm really proud of the whole team for their hard work and dedication," said Johnson.  "To have an early misfortune can easily get anyone down, but everyone pressed on and that determination paid off with 4th place points and we are now currently 2nd in the Championship."

After salvaging precious points, the No.66 Ford is currently 2nd in the points Championship going into Round 3 at Silverstone.

Johnson WINS at SPA!!!

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium - The No. 66 Ford GT, raced by Stefan Mucke, Olivier Pla and Billy Johnson won a dramatic '6 Hours of Spa' today, taking maximum championship points from the first race of the 2018-19 WEC Super Season. 

"This was a race of extremes for us," said Team Principal, George Howard-Chappell. "The most important thing is that Harry is okay.  The car is clearly very strong and now we need to have a good look at it to work out what happened.  The 66 crew had a fabulous result.  It has been a long two years coming and they drove brilliantly.

"To be working on the car before I eve know wehat it looked like, and to have worked on the road car development has been a huge honor to me," Johnson, said.  "To race here (at Spa) and LeMans as one of only two Americans in the Ford program is also very special."

"To bring home a win, marking Stefan, Olivier, and the whole 66 team's first, was a big monkey off our backs.  The pace has been there in the past - the hard work has too - it's just the results that haven't  It was very satisfying now that all four Fords racing in IMSA and the WEC have won races."

​http://performance.ford.com/series/ford-gt/news/articles/wec/2018/05/spa-results.html

Billy Johnson Sped up the 2018 Mustang PPL2

It turns out that one of the secrets to developing this package was courtesy of one of Ford’s own race drivers, Billy Johnson — a wunderkind who has raced both the Shelby GT350RC and the Ford GT racer. Not only can he drive the wheels off a race car, but he also has a gift for translating those on-track feels into meaningful engineering changes.

“Billy was helping us because what you want for sustained high-speed operation is different from what you want on the racetrack,” Mike Del Zio, Vehicle Dynamics Development Engineer at Ford, told us previously. “We would go run our big, 5-mile oval and say ‘This car feels really stable and planted.’ Then we would go to the racetrack and Billy would tell us where to make adjustments.”

Apparently the racer was integral in the development process of a package, which was not limited to protect the Shelby’s on-track supremacy.

“One of the gems was when we were tuning the car with the adaptive suspension, and we thought we had it honed and really good. Then we were working with Billy Johnson, one of our Le Mans drivers, and he gave us some critical feedback, and it was like, ‘Oh, OK,’” Jamie Cullen, Ford supervisor for vehicle dynamics development, added. “It allowed us to turn a few more knobs to make the car just that little bit better. We found something in the software to do what he wanted.”

https://www.fordnxt.com/news/billy-johnson-helped-hone-the-2018-mustang-ppl2/

Johnson returns to the WEC for 2018 in the #66 Ford GT

DEARBORN - Ford Chip Ganassi Racing have announced the 12 drivers who will race the four Ford GTs at the 24 Hours of LeMans:

"I'm looking forward to joining Stefan Mucke and Olivier Pla again in the #66 Ford GT this year at Spa and LeMans." said Johnson "There have been a lot of changes in the off season and there are a few new GTE-Pro cars and manufacturers that will make the championship extremely competitive with a much larger car count.  It will be an exciting year and I'm looking forward to being a part of it with high hopes for some strong results for the #66 car."

Johnson finishes 22nd in MENCS Debut

"It was truly special to make my Cup debut in the #43 for Richard Petty Motorsports" said Johnson.  "While it wasn't the result we were looking for, we overcame a few issues early on in the race and ran in the top-10 before losing radio communication late in the race."

​"The checkered flag actually caught me off guard since I was expecting the race to go on a bit longer.  Never the less, it was a great experience and I learned a lot.  I look forward to another opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of these cars.  The racing is very competitive. 

Johnson makes NASCAR Cup debut driving the iconic #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Fusion

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Richard Petty Motorsports announced Monday that IMSA Ford driver Billy Johnson will pilot the No. 43 Smithfield Ford at Sonoma Raceway and fill in for the injured Aric Almirola. Fresh from competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Johnson will make his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend, but this isn’t the first time he worked in NASCAR. Johnson made five starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and scored a career-best eighth-place finish in Montreal in 2012.

A road course specialist, Johnson has 10 years of road racing experience. He worked with Almirola on his road course racing at the Ford Performance racing school at Miller Motorsports Park in a curriculum he developed with other instructors at the school. He has worked with over 20 Ford drivers to improve their road racing skills in the last six years.

“It is going to be awesome. It will be my first NASCAR Cup race and to debut in the 43 car, one of the most iconic numbers to ever race in NASCAR, is a huge honor,” said Johnson. “Richard Petty Motorsports is a great organization. To have the chance to make my Cup debut for the King is surreal, and I appreciate them putting me in the car.

“I have run a lot of XFINITY races, but this will be my first Cup race. It is awesome that RPM and everyone at Ford Performance has the confidence in me to take on Sonoma. I have run pretty well in the XFINITY road course races I have done, so I hope that translates into a good showing this weekend.”

“We are so excited about Billy Johnson making his Cup debut. He drove great for us in Le Mans this past weekend, has been a champion for us in the past in the GT350, and he’s been one of our development drivers for a while,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance.

“To be able to put him in a Cup car, at the highest level of NASCAR, in the iconic No. 43 Fusion, and to let him show his skills at Sonoma, well, we couldn’t be happier for him to have this chance.”

Richard Petty Motorsports has success at Sonoma. The team has one win, two poles, three Top Fives and nine Top 10s. Kasey Kahne scored a win in 2009 and a pole in 2010, while Marcos Ambrose won the pole in 2012. Since Almirola’s injury, the team has worked with drivers Regan Smith and Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.

“It’s been important for us to put ourselves in the most competitive spot while Aric is recovering,” said CEO Brian Moffitt. “We’ve worked with Ford and Smithfield to put the best driver available in the car each week. Both Regan (Smith) and Bubba (Wallace) have done a great job for us the last five weeks. We feel that Billy’s experience on a road course will help us be competitive this weekend.”

Suspension Failure results in 10th place finish at LeMans

The #66 Ford GT was leading the category four hours in with Billy Johnson (US) behind the wheel after Stefan Mücke (GER) started eighth, but 10 hours later a rear suspension problem sent their team-mate Olivier Pla (FRA) into the gravel and the No. 66 to the back of the pack.

"It was awesome to lead the GTE-Pro class for quite some time" said Johnson. "Everything needs to go right for 24 hours and LeMans pushes cars, drivers, and the team to the limit.  Unfortunately this wasn't our year and a suspension issue caused us to go many laps down and put us out of contention for the win."  

Source:
http://performance.ford.com/series/ford-gt/news/articles/wec/2017/06/ford-gt-takes-second-at-le-mans.html

Podium Finish in WEC Round 2 at Spa

SPA, Belgium – The GTE Pro cars came in two-by-two at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium today. This time it was Ferrari that took the win and second place, closely followed by two Ford GTs in third and fourth, then two Porsches and two Aston Martins.

It was the No. 66 Ford GT crew of Stefan Mücke (GER), Olivier Pla (FRA) and Billy Johnson (US) that stood on the podium after six hours of hard racing.  After starting the race in second place they looked like strong contenders for the win with Pla enjoying a close fight with the sister Ford GT of Harry Tincknell (GB) and the two Ferraris in the opening stages. Johnson suffered at the hands of an LMP2 car that spun him around on his out lap and was later penalised for doing so and ultimately an unfortunately timed Full Course Yellow put paid to the No. 66 crew’s fight for the win.
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“We had a really good fight with the Ferraris at the beginning of the race today,” said Pla. “Unfortunately I lost a position when I got stuck in traffic through Eau Rouge but there was nothing I could do. Because of this we decided to stay on the same set of tyres for the second half of my double stint, which wasn’t easy as the track was still very green. It wasn’t so bad in the end as we took third place, despite losing time with a Full Course Yellow, and we weren’t too far from the Ferraris.”
 
​Never a man to be happy with third place, Multimatic Vice-President Larry Holt summed up the thoughts of the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team after the race.
 
“I’m never happy if we don’t win,” said Holt. “In reality we had a problem with both cars. We had the fuel issue with the No. 67 at the first stop and unfortunately #66 was in the pits when the Full Course Yellow happened which probably cost us around 40 seconds. Without those two issues I think you would have seen two Fords and two Ferraris battling it out for the win.
 
“P1 and P4 at Silverstone and P3 and P4 here at Spa racks up the points and proves that we can be competitive with Ferrari going into Le Mans. Before we had our issues it was a great race so if you want to see another great Ford vs Ferrari battle at Le Mans it’s looking pretty good.”
 
The next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship is the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours.

4th Place Finish in WEC Season Opener at Silverstone

Yellow flags once again took a turn for the worse for Johnson, Pla, and Mucke.

​At the start of the WEC season opener at Silverstone, Stefan Mucke kept the No. 68 in the front of the pack while the No. 67 sister car suffered from mechanical issues that found themselves nearly a lap down and 30 minutes off the pit sequence of the rest of the field.

​During Johnson's stint, the skies opened up as typical in British fashion, and Johnson extended the race lead over the rest of the field despite remaining on slick tires.  As the track dried out, the No. 7 Toyota P1 car fount its way into the wall which brought out a long Full Course Yellow and eventually a very rare Safety Car which erased Johnson's 30-second lead as well as the 90-second deficit of the No. 67 Ford GT.

​During the Safety Car, the majority of the field pitted for fuel behind Johnson, and the 67 Ford GT's off-sequence strategy due to the early race troubles put them in ideal position relative to the rest of the field.  During the remaining hours of the race, the 67's strategy turned out to work in their favor and put them in a 40-second lead over the rest of the field, and the No. 68 was disadvantaged due to not pitting from the lead which found them at the back of the queue. 

​Despite a damper issue early in the race which didn't hurt the No. 68's outright speed too much, Olivier Pla fought hard to bring the car home in 4th place

Top 5 Finish in the 12 Hours of Sebring

After a last minute decision to field a 3rd Ford GT for the 12 Hours of Sebring, Johnson who was again joined by teammates Olivier Pla and Stefan Mucke in the No. 68 Ford GT to finish fifth in the 65th running of the famed and grueling race.

​Johnson led the race for much of his last two hour stint with just over two hours remaining in the race.  Pit strategy and a full course yellow flag did not work in the favor of the trio of Ford GTs, which found themselves in the back of the queue and disadvantaged after the full course yellow.  In the remaining hour of the race, Stefan Mucke fought hard to bring home the No. 68 home in a top 5 finish.

Johnson teams up with Pla & Mucke in the #68 Ford GT for the Rolex 24

Johnson rejoins his 24 Hours of LeMans teammates Frenchman Olivier Pla and German Stefan Mucke to compete in the 2017 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in Ford's four car effort driving the No. 68 Ford GT.

Billy Johnson to Drive in Ford Chip Ganassi Racing's Four-Car Effort in the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona

DEARBORN, Mich. -- Not since last summer’s Le Mans 24 Hours have all four Ford GTs in the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing stable competed for the same prize. That will change at the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, where the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship teams will unite for one goal -- winning the coveted top step of the podium of a 24-hour race on American soil.A full four-car effort in the Rolex 24 is a continuation of the historical trail the current Ford GT team has been following, one that was blazed by the original GT40s of the 1960s. Those earlier cars won the most important endurance racing titles around the world, including the Rolex 24, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Ford Chip Ganassi Racing may have ticked off one box in that legendary list in the debut year, but there is still work to do.

“It would be easy to just talk about what we’ve already done with this Ford GT but really we’re focused on the future,” said Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance. “We didn’t have the strongest race at the Rolex 24 last year but we have a season of learning experiences behind us with this program now and we’re proud that when we come back to Daytona in 2017, we’ll come with all four Ford GTs.”

The Ford GT program won six races and started from the front of the grid eight times in 2016, with victories coming at Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen, Mosport, Le Mans, Fuji and Shanghai.

“Even with the success we had last season winning six races, I think we have some unfinished business in Daytona,” said Chip Ganassi, owner, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, who with the 2016 Le Mans win became the only team owner in history to win the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and the Le Mans 24 Hours. “The Rolex 24 last year was our first big test to see where we were with the program, and although we didn’t win, I can tell you that we learned a lot. We also learned a lot in Le Mans working with all four cars through the 24 hours. I’m excited we have another opportunity to assemble the full lineup for Daytona. The opportunity to compete with all four cars at the same time, in a race as prestigious as Daytona, is very special.”
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Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will again campaign four Ford GTs full time for its second year of competition -- two in the North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and two in the global FIA World Endurance Championship.

About Billy:

Billy Johnson is a (freelance) American professional race car driver who has competed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing in the #66 Ford GT, winning the 2018 6-Hours of Spa, and is the 2016 IMSA Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS champion for Ford/Multimatic Motorsports in the #15 Ford Performance Shelby GT350R-C with co-driver Scott Maxwell.

With 23 wins and 49 podiums to his name, Billy is the winning-est driver in CTSCC history.  In addition, Billy has multiple GT class podium finishes for Turner Motorsports, driving the BMW M3 in the IMSA GTD Class. 

Johnson is a development driver for Multimatic and Ford Performance and helped develop the LeMans winning Ford GT racecar, Championship winning Shelby GT350R-C, Mustang GT4, FP350S racecars, as well as street cars including the GT350, GT350R, GT500, and Ford GT.

He has been called to drive in numerous endurance races including the 24 Hours of LeMans in the #66 Ford GT, 24 Hours of Daytona in the #77 Doran Racing Ford Daytona Prototype, the 12 Hours of Sebring in the #007 Aston Martin Vantage to the #64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 to the #97 Turner Motorsport Z4 GT3.

Johnson is also a road-course specialist who has competed in the NASCAR Cup series, driving for Richard Petty in the iconic #43 NASCAR; as well as the NASCAR Xfinity series.

Billy is a professional driver coach and has worked for numerous racing schools and is hired by Ford to teaching advanced techniques to Ford's Cup and XFinity drivers on road courses.

Driving for Roush Fenway Racing with a career-best 8th place finish in the #60 at Montreal in 2012, Johnson made his oval racing debut at Loudon in 2013 in a Nationwide car finishing an impressive 15th position on the lead lap.  He also led laps in the #16 at Road America.  

Billy is an 8-time track record holder in Time Attack events driving an assortment of cars but most notable for piloting the FXMD Turbo NSX, the fastest Time Attack car in the country.  

Billy currently resides in Boynton Beach, FL.

Upcoming Events:

24 Hours of LeMans - June 17-18, 2017 - LeMans, France

Billy Johnson & FX Motorsports Development re-set the Buttonwillow Track Record by ~3 seconds (1:37.520) as confirmation of fastest time attack car in the country.

Billy Johnson & FXMD beat HKS Japan's long-standing track record at Buttonwillow.  The only RWD car to do so!