Prior to the 40th annual United Association NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, New Jersey the drivers of John Force Racing spent Thursday at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. The event was a comprehensive day of vehicle education, employee interaction and most important, hands on experience for every Ford driver and team owner from both NHRA and NASCAR.
In addition to 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, Funny Car drivers Ashley Force Hood, Robert Hight and Mike Neff from John Force Racing, Bob Tasca III and Tim Wilkerson also represented NHRA. NASCAR team owners and drivers Jack Roush, Len and Eddie Wood, Greg Biffle, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, Max Jones, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, David Ragan, and Paul Menard were also involved.
“It was good for us to hear from the top guys at Ford as far as their vision for the future and how we can play a part in continuing to help Ford grow their business. We all know the economy has its problems but Ford is being aggressive and making smart moves to make their new cars and trucks even more attractive and fuel efficient. I am excited to be a part of the Ford family and to be able to spread the Ford gospel. Ford is about good gas mileage and being fun to drive,” said John Force.
“The highlight for me was getting the opportunity to spend time with Jim Farley from Ford, Jack Roush from the NASCAR side of Ford Racing, and Ken Crain with Crain Communications. We told some stories that were fun and talked about the fact that Ford is taking steps to make itself stronger. I learned a lot about how they are doing business and how I can do some things differently with my race teams. We talked about all the new technology Ford is putting in their 2010 models and some of their new cars like the Fiesta that my daughter Courtney is driving now for the Fiesta Movement,” added Force.
The day began with a Ford Motor Company Town Hall meeting where Ford employees asked the drivers and owners a variety of questions about their racing experiences as well as their thoughts about being associated with Ford Racing.
Following the Town Hall Meeting all drivers and owners were shuttled to the Dearborn Development Center for a working lunch and welcome by Ford Racing and Ford Motor Company management. During this event drivers and owners were offered comprehensive walk-arounds of each Ford vehicle by a Ford product specialist. There were static car displays of the F150 Harley, 2011 Mustang 3.7 V6 and the Mustang FR500S.
In the afternoon under rainy conditions the drivers and owners were split into two groups where they participated in a Driving Experience to test the steering and handling. They also conquered the straightaway tracks to experience each Ford’s respective acceleration power and maneuverability. Drivers were able to get behind the wheel of a variety of Ford vehicles including the 2010 Mustang Shelby GT-500, 2010 Mustang GT, Taurus SHO, MKT w/ EcoBoost, SVT Raptor 6.2 , Fusion Sport, Fiesta, and the Super Duty 6.7L Diesel.
“It was neat to drive and have an expert explain about each different Ford vehicle and its specific features. I actually favored the Raptor SVT. I guess that is just part of my truck roots going back to my F150. It was fun to ride up off the ground. I still have my truck but I also have an MKS which I drive a lot. Of course my Castrol GTX Mustang is real low so it is fun to be up high,” said Ashley Force Hood. “They all felt good which is great since you will always find yourself driving in the rain. They all handled really well especially considering we were on a road course and going pretty fast.”
While one group was on the track the other group was receiving a Vehicle DNA review or vehicle showroom presentation. The drivers were enlightened to a wide variety of enhancements and unique elements about each vehicle. At the conclusion of the day all the drivers and team owners had a better understanding how their on-track success translated into the real world applications for Ford.
Source: www.JohnForceRacing.com
