coupe3w Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 http://www.dragzine.com/news/ford-to-scale-back-nhra-drag-racing-efforts-following-2014-season/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZanatWork Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 I don't feel too badly about this. As much as I like the John Force team and seeing winning Fords in any form of auto racing, drag racing beyond the level of the Cobra Jet Mustangs doesn't really seem to mean much...either technologically or in terms of exposure. I can't remember the last NHRA/Ford commercial or ad that I saw.NASCAR, definitely. Grand-Am, definitely. I'd love the EcoBoost image to be pushed in IndyCar, and I really miss Ford being in Formula 1 (and, as they're going back to turbos, I see another missed EcoBoost opportunity), but drag racing? Not beyond the production-based levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe3w Posted July 27, 2013 Author Share Posted July 27, 2013 I see why Ford is cutting back. No interest in drag racing here. What a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetang Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I'm a bit sad for the Tasca folks, who have flown the Ford banner for a long time. And I'm a bit disappointed by the prospect of the Force mega-team hoisting someone else's colors. But from where I sit this seems like something a long time coming. The top-end drag racing peak was decades ago, and it shows no sign of staging a comeback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MineralstangGT Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 This absolutely sucks. I'm a huge Tasca and Force fan and many years growing up going to the Mile High Nationals here in Denver have made great memories. If its the right choice financially, I just care about Ford as a company. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stray Kat Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Drag racing is a pure motorsport. Acceleration contests will always be a yardstick by which vehicles are measured. A major manufacturer like Ford has to weigh the exposure and the relevency of what is being raced and promoted. Decisions have to be made. Ford does not have unlimited dollars to play the racing game like GM and Chrysler seem to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I wonder if the bore-spacing rule that disqualified Ford big-blocks was a factor? What about the FWD drags? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marginal Economist Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Just spent the day at Sonoma. There are a lot of fans and you can get close to the racers and the cars. Tasca was out signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. I know the cost is a lot, but the goodwill goes a long way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I'm betting toyota will pick up the Force Team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe3w Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 I could see them pulling out if Tasca and Force were not wining, but that is not the case here. They are wining, and doing a good job on promoting the Ford brand. It's going to be real sad in 2015 when there will only be Tasca running a Ford in F/C and Force and team will be in Toyota's. And as far as P/S poor Larry Morgan gets no help at all it's a joke in P/S for Ford what an embarrassment to Ford and the Ford fans. It reminds me of F1 when Ford tried to make that work, what a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 This kind of racing is not a "toe dip" kind of racing. You're either all in or all out. You can't dilly dally around with it and win. If Ford wants to be part of it and win they have to commit the resources. If they don't then just fold up shop and call it a day. It is a bit puzzling though because they are winning on these fronts. NASCAR is an area where Ford is just sucking wind right now. I do believe NASCAR is pro Chevy by a long shot but Toyota enjoys a fair amount of success in NASCAR. Ford by contrast has struggled since the introduction of the COT. If they need a place to put some of the funding conserved by getting out of NHRA, perhaps they should start writing checks to the France family so Ford can win some NASCAR championships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Are you seriously suggesting that current racing series like NHRA and NASCAR where the actual vehicles raced have virtually nothing in common with the production vehicles have any measurable impact on sales? Win on Sunday/sell on Monday just doesn't happen anymore. Nobody's buying a Mustang because John Force has one or a Fusion because the Roush guys use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoonerLS Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 I'm betting toyota will pick up the Force Team. Well, there would something ironically poetic about seeing a Camry shell with unexpected acceleration or a nitro-power Prius... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe3w Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Well, there would something ironically poetic about seeing a Camry shell with unexpected acceleration or a nitro-power Prius... Where have you been? They already use Camrys, ever here of Cruz Pedregon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Drag racing is a pure motorsport. Acceleration contests will always be a yardstick by which vehicles are measured. A major manufacturer like Ford has to weigh the exposure and the relevency of what is being raced and promoted. Decisions have to be made. Ford does not have unlimited dollars to play the racing game like GM and Chrysler seem to have. It's all about relevancy as you said. It's neat, but what does it really do to built brand awareness and perception for Ford? Not like much of anything you see running at NHRA events is going to be found at your local Ford dealer. Drag racing is alive and well, but just not up at the corporate level the way it used to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Where have you been? They already use Camrys, ever here of Cruz Pedregon? Ever hear of the Cruz Pedregon Snap-On Solara? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoonerLS Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Where have you been? They already use Camrys, ever here of Cruz Pedregon? Nope. Never did care about funnycars. And I know my post was subtle, but you might want to work on that sense of humor a bit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coupe3w Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 Looks like Camrys to me. 4 FC Cruz Pedregon Brownsburg IN '13 Camry TFX 500 SNAP-ON 72 FC Tony Pedregon Brownsburg IN '13 Camry AJ 500 AMERICAN RACING WHEELS 771 FC Alexis De Joria Ypsilanti MI '13 Camry TFX 500 TEQUILA PATRON Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stentgraft95 Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I do believe NASCAR is pro Chevy by a long shot. That statement is so blatant to me. If I were Ford I'd tell the France family exactly what they could with that traveling sideshow referred to as NASCAR. Good riddance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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