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The Müller Report

Ford GT in race action at Watkins Glen. [Photo by Jack Webster]

Ford GT in race action at Watkins Glen. [Photo by Jack Webster]

By Jack Webster & Eddie LePine

We caught up with a very busy Dirk Müller at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen this past weekend, where he was driving the #66 Ford GT along with regular co-driver Joey Hand.

Coming off of a very disappointing Le Mans (where his car was disqualified for fuel infractions), Dirk was glad to be at one of his favorite tracks, Watkins Glen, and his favorite racing series, The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Dirk has had a very busy and successful career. As a Porsche factory driver, he won the GT Class at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1998 driving the Rohr Porsche 911 GT1 (and finishing 2nd overall), also in 1998 he was the champion in the Porsche Carrera Cup in Europe. He followed up a successful 1998 season with a GT class win at Petit Le Mans, driving a Porsche 996 GT3R.

From Porsche, it was on to BMW for a very successful run with them. In 2004 he won both the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and the 24 Hours of Spa, among other successes. Then switching between rides for BMW and Ferrari, he won the FIA-GT Championship for Ferrari in 2007 with six wins. For BMW he won the American Le Mans GT Drivers Championship in 2011 and followed that up with a GT class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2012.

Dirk caught the attention of Ford and Chip Ganassi when the new Ford GT program was being launched and he was brought onboard for one of the most sought after seats in GT racing.

Success with Ford followed for Dirk, with a legendary class win in the Ford GT at Le Mans in 2016, followed up by a GT class win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2017. In 2018, he scored two more victories, including the Six Hours of Watkins Glen.

With the Ford factory program winding down, and due to end at the end of the 2019 season, we chatted a bit about the future and where he might be going.

“I love driving for Chip Ganassi, but the Ford program is coming to an end. I don’t know what is next, but we have a really good package right now with Chip. I am crossing all the fingers I have that it can continue is some form.”

At the Glen, the GTLM race was once again a very close contest, and the #66 car with Dirk and Joey Hand ended up just shy of the podium in 4th place.

We will be keeping an eye of Dirk as he finishes his run with the Ford GT program and looks to the future. A talent such as his will not likely be left on the sidelines.

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