2008 Ford GT 1st Generation

This Ford GT-R was built by Ohio constructor Doran Designs in accordance with Automobile Club de l’Ouest GT2 regulations and was delivered to Georgia-based Robertson Racing in early 2008. Chassis 002 debuted at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring at the hands of Andrea Robertson, David Robertson, and David Murry, who continued to pilot the car through the 2008 and 2009 American Le Mans Series seasons. After returning from chassis repairs in late 2010, the car was campaigned throughout the 2011 ALMS season before its retirement. Over the ensuing decade it was utilized by Robertson Racing in SVRA and HSR vintage competition as well as various other events. Featuring carbon-fiber body panels finished in a silver and yellow livery, the car is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter DOHC V8 built by Elan Power Products with an aluminum block, production Ford GT cylinder heads, custom internals, and dry-sump lubrication. Additional equipment includes a paddle-shifted EMCO six-speed sequential transaxle, Öhlins four-way adjustable dampers with Eibach springs, slotted and ventilated disc brakes with Brembo calipers, centerlock 18” BBS wheels, an adjustable rear wing, a roll cage, an OMP racing seat with a Willans five-point harness, and a MoTeC dash. This Ford GT race car is now offered in Buford, Georgia, by the seller on behalf of the current owner with an ACO Technical Passport, two spare sets of wheels, and a bill of sale. Doran Engineering’s Kevin Doran began development of a racing variant of the Ford GT in 2006 and achieved homologation of the platform for ACO GT2-class regulations. This example was ordered in 2007 by Robertson Racing, whose team manager Andrew Smith led the completion of the car’s assembly shortly before its debut at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring. Construction incorporates an aluminum spaceframe and roof panel appended by custom chassis components including a carbon-fiber front cross member, frame rails, and radiator support. Carbon-fiber body panels produced by SE Composites are finished in silver with yellow Le Mans stripes and side accents, and various areas of wear are shown up close in the photo gallery below. Exposed carbon-fiber aerodynamic elements include an adjustable rear wing, a front splitter, front flicks, and a flat undertray with an upward-sloped rear segment. Additional features include a removable rear panel, a nose-mounted external fuel filler port, an external electrical cutoff switch, and Hella headlights in exposed carbon-fiber buckets. Silver-painted 18” BBS wheels are secured by centerlock nuts behind retention springs integrated into the hubs and are wrapped in Dunlop slicks measuring 285/660 up front and 310/705 at the rear. Braking incorporates two-piece slotted and ventilated discs that are acted upon by six- and four-piston Brembo calipers at the front and rear, respectively, and they are cooled by carbon-fiber ducts. Steering is electrically assisted. The cockpit houses a single OMP racing seat trimmed in black cloth and equipped with a red Willans five-point harness. Additional features include an exposed carbon-fiber dash and center tunnel, a roll cage with padding over the driver-side door braces, a central Safety Solutions net, AP Racing drilled pedals, a fire-suppression system, and a rearview-camera display screen mounted to the roof at the top of the windshield. The MOMO quick-release steering wheel sits ahead of a MoTeC digital dash with shift lights as well as carbon-fiber paddle shifters. Equipment includes a MoTeC telemetry box, a Motorola two-way radio, and an Oneida timer. The naturally aspirated modular 5.0-liter V8 was built by Elan Power Products using an aluminum Ford “Cammer” block, production Ford GT cylinder heads with dual-overhead camshafts on each bank, dry-sump lubrication, and Bosch electronic fuel injection. Additional features include oil and transaxle coolers, a carbon-fiber intake manifold, four-into-one exhaust headers, Lava Shield carbon-fiber-look heat wrap over the rear frame tubes, and a fuel cell that runs underneath the chassis. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an EMCO six-speed sequential transaxle, with gear selection handled by a Shiftec air-powered paddle-shift system. Suspension incorporates custom double wishbones and uprights along with Öhlins four-way adjustable dampers, Eibach springs, and a tubular front sway bar. The car is also equipped with AP Racing quick jacks. Various scrapes are shown in underside photos in the gallery below. Images of the car during its racing career are included in the gallery below, as is a list of races the car contested during four seasons of ALMS competition in the GT2 class as well as an appearance in the 2009 Asian Le Mans Series. The car is also said to have participated in pre-qualifying at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it served as a backup to its sister car, chassis 004, which placed third in its class to mark the first podium finish by a married couple at Le Mans. The ACO Technical Passport lists homologation number LMGT2-08.