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Ford Motor Company to leave drag racing

milesmiles Member Posts: 2,548 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited August 2013 in General Discussion
Few here into NHRA racing I'm guessing but,.....

From what I can gather, Ford is ending it's sponsorship of NHRA Top
Fuel and Funny Car at the end of 2014 and limit involvement to the
"Grassroots Sportsman Series" events.

It's a fact that coverage is spotty and crowds are smaller but to end it's relationship with the likes of John Force Racing and other big names in the sport does tarnish their image with most in drag racing.

I hope that they change their minds between now and 2014 seasons end and wonder how they can justify dumping tons of money into NASCAR like they do with so little to show for it.

Comments

  • 11BravoCrunchie11BravoCrunchie Member Posts: 33,423 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's all business. Why dump what is probably millions of dollars into sponsoring something if the return from that sponsorship is less than the investment?

    That is why Ford is still an independently owned company in this world.
  • BoomerangBoomerang Member Posts: 4,513
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by austin20
    quote:Originally posted by Zulu7
    It's all business. Why dump what is probably millions of dollars into sponsoring something if the return from that sponsorship is less than the investment?

    That is why Ford is still an independently owned company in this world.
    Ford is not independently owned. They are a publicly traded company.
    I think he is referring to the fact they did not become part of Government Motors like GM and Chrysler did.
  • select-fireselect-fire Member Posts: 69,529 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ford wasn't competitive..
  • godalejrgodalejr Member Posts: 2,038 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    aren't the john force cars ford?
  • footlongfootlong Member Posts: 8,009
    edited November -1
    Got my Ford shares in Nov 08 @ $1.52 ea [:D]
  • Ray BRay B Member Posts: 11,822
    edited November -1
    My opinion of drag racing is that it's best left to high school kids.
  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Every one knows That Funny cars and top fuel Do not run ford cars or engines . The front decal of the Grill may look somewhat like a Mustang
    but I bet less the 1% is FORD on any fuel car. > reall dont like what they have done to Nascar the last 20 years but at least the new car almost look like a Ford Toyoto or Chevy
    EDIT many drag cars run the ford 9 inch rear They are easier to work on than the Dana 60 but and NASCAR run the ford 9inch because they want all brands of STOCKcars to have the same parts. ease on inspections. HOWEVER no fuel cars run 9inch Ford rear . All fuel cars have Custom manufactured drive trains
  • Fred1911Fred1911 Member Posts: 50 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    John Force Racing, in conjunction with Ford, developed
    the 'Boss' 500 ci for use in both fuel cars and pro stock classes in 2009.

    At today's NHRA race at Sonoma, CA John Force Racing had 3 Top Fuel Funny cars and 1 Top Fuel Dragster qualified. John and his daughter Courtney both made the Funny Car Semis - and John finished runner up to Ron Capps in the NAPA sponsored FC owned by Don Schumacher. This is the first year for JFR fielding a Top Fuel Dragster, but another daughter, Brittany drives it and she is doing well in her rookie season. Oh, I have attended NHRA races since 1968 - gotta love the smell of nitro.
  • Horse Plains DrifterHorse Plains Drifter Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 40,233 ***** Forums Admin
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by perry shooter
    Every one knows That Funny cars and top fuel Do not run ford cars or engines . The front decal of the Grill may look somewhat like a Mustang
    but I bet less the 1% is FORD on any fuel car. > reall dont like what they have done to Nascar the last 20 years but at least the new car almost look like a Ford Toyoto or Chevy
    And they all run Ford rearends.
  • MaaloxMaalox Member Posts: 5,155 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It was disappointing to hear this. Force and Bob Tasca both have been long time Ford supporters. I think this is due to the overall status of NHRA more than the Force or Tasca teams. NHRA doesn't seem to have the fan or sponsorship support it did a few years ago. Many short fields in pro stock and other classes over the past few months.
    Regards, MAALOX
  • 35 Whelen35 Whelen Member Posts: 14,307 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Fred1911
    John Force Racing, in conjunction with Ford, developed
    the 'Boss' 500 ci for use in both fuel cars and pro stock classes in 2009.

    At today's NHRA race at Sonoma, CA John Force Racing had 3 Top Fuel Funny cars and 1 Top Fuel Dragster qualified. John and his daughter Courtney both made the Funny Car Semis - and John finished runner up to Ron Capps in the NAPA sponsored FC owned by Don Schumacher. This is the first year for JFR fielding a Top Fuel Dragster, but another daughter, Brittany drives it and she is doing well in her rookie season. Oh, I have attended NHRA races since 1968 - gotta love the smell of nitro.



    I picked up a used piston from Force's funny car, at a race in Spokane, back around 1996 or so. Neat memento. Out of all the pro top fuel teams at that race, Force was the only one to put on a show. Half-track burnout and all. The rest just burped the throttle down the track. The ol' truck driver hammered it![8D][^]
    An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.
  • theranger1theranger1 Member Posts: 1,055 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by godalejr
    aren't the john force cars ford?

    Yes...Funny Car Mustang---John Force
  • theranger1theranger1 Member Posts: 1,055 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by theranger1
    quote:Originally posted by godalejr
    aren't the john force cars ford?

    Yes...Funny Car Mustang---John Force. Not for sure if the actual motor is a cobra type Mustang engine.
  • use enough gunuse enough gun Member Posts: 1,443 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The '500 Ford' that they developed is Ford in name only. As with ALL Top Fuel motors they are based on the Chrysler 426 Hemi design. All the motors use a forged block a slightly larger main bearing and billet cylinder heads. They probably tweeked it in a couple areas for ease of in between round maintence or to strengthen a problem area. About the only part they made that says Ford on it are the billet valve covers. You can bet Force racing did it to make Ford Motor Co. happy.
    If my memory serves correctly, Mopar a few years ago ran an ad thanking Chevy and Ford for using their motors in Top Fuel. These motors are making in the area of 7,000 to 10,000hp depending on who's figures you use. So you can see that no production parts are going to last, but the architecture is still based on the 426 Hemi. Dave
  • RocklobsterRocklobster Member Posts: 7,060
    edited November -1
    The only thing "Ford" or "Chevy" about NASCAR is the decals stuck on the front of the decidedly non-stock plastic bodies.

    Toyota's Camry has never been offered with an overhead-valve pushrod V8 so it still beats me why they are allowed to race.
  • lee shermanlee sherman Member Posts: 405 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    There is nothing stock about a stock car. The NHRA fuel funny cars all look like dumptrucks with all that aero off the back. Top fuel uses no parts whatsoever from Ford. The funny car bodys that Force uses are all carbon fiber sorta lookalikes. Ford does'nt run any cars in pro stock because they are not even competitive. It's all about money or the lack of $ame.
  • use enough gunuse enough gun Member Posts: 1,443 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Ford did lure Larry Morgan into running a Ford in Pro Stock. I believe there are 2-3 Fords running.....in the back of the pack (when they can qualify). I'm no Ford lover by any stretch but as the old saying goes...'every dog has it's day'. Back when Bob Glidden was racing Ford was on top. Pro Stock is the most competitive class in pro drag racing, best to worst is only seperated by a couple tenths of a second. Right now Dodge and GM are running neck-n-neck. Mike Edwards in a Chevy hold the point lead over Allen Johnson by I believe 3 rounds.Dave
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