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Ganassi switches from BMW to Ford for United SportsCar Championship

Chip Ganassi Racing will switch from BMW to Ford engines for the inaugural United SportsCar Championship in 2014

Ganassi's eponymous squad won seven of the last 10 Grand-Am Daytona prototype championships, and triumphed in last year's Daytona 24 Hours opener with Juan Pablo Montoya, Charlie Kimball, Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett.

The latter pair will once again share the team's lead car for the 2014 Daytona endurance event, which will be the first event of the newly-formed USC.

The deal coincides with Ford stepping up its involvement in US sportscars. On top of its new 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost engine, Ford has also had an input on the Riley-designed shell.

"We are very excited to be switching to Ford power for our sports car program," Ganassi said.

"Over the last 10 seasons we have been able to experience a great deal of success in Grand-Am.

"Now, with the dawn of the new United SportsCar Championship, we feel that Ford power will be a key ingredient to writing the next chapter of our sports car program."

Jamie Allison, Ford Racing director, added: "This is Ford engine technology at its best - direct injection, turbocharging and high efficiency.

"This new Ford EcoBoost race engine shares 70 per cent of its parts with the 3.5-liter V6 engine that a customer can buy today in their Taurus SHO.

"There may not be a better place to continue to develop and improve it than endurance sports car racing."

Along with Ganassi, 2012 Daytona 24 Hours winners Michael Shank Racing will also run with Ford engines in the USC next year.

The team ran its new-look prototype and Ford engine at Daytona recently, with Colin Braun setting a new closed-course speed record.

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