Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Ford has announced that it has extended its commitment with Tim Wilkerson and his team to run a Mustang Funny Car in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Wilkerson has been with Ford Performance since 2009 and has acquired ten NHRA Wally trophies in that time. Wilkerson is at the top of the heap for Ford Performance with two drivers, Force, and Height, having more wins than he does in a Funny Car.


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Wilkerson has been racing Funny Cars since 1996 and has 20 NHRA victories to his credit. At the same time, the team is signing again with Ford; it is also announcing its 21st season with Levi, Ray & Shoup. The team says that they don’t think there are many in the sport that have had a relationship with a sponsor that spans more than two decades.

Last month Ford signed again with Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing. Tasca extended his contact after winning two races for the last season and appeared in four final-round races. The season was one of the most successful in his career despite being his first back in full-time competition. The extension that Tasca signed with Ford Performance was a multi-year deal. It’s not clear if the deal Wilkerson signed was multi-year. The first event on the 2020 NHRA schedule is the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA, on February 6th.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Please define “shun”; the Big 3 all sponsor funny cars but don’t see how that impacts contingency programs. Last year they paid contingency for Fords in Stock and Super Stock, is that changing for 2020? Looks like Butner, Skillmans, etc are continuing with the FS program as well.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Contingency postings are always last minute, or late, as "stragglers" get their budgets sorted out for the new year. Seems that NHRA is at the mercy of each company's respective timetable and I doubt they want to lose any more. It's particularly frustrating for Div. 2 where the season has its earliest start.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I remember when Ford dropped Force there was some talk of a more "grassroots" program. Then they jump on another Funny Car:confused:

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

The dropped Force to pay for the GT LeMans program!

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I would be inclined to believe that being involved with the Force program certainly has to be much more costly (to Ford) than Wilkerson's car, or even Tasca, for that matter.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Didn't they also cut the drag support in 67 to pay for LeMans that year and the previous? Seems to me there were not as many factory cars in 67 as there were in 66. But there were still some.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

It was actually for IMSA which led to LeMans. The "sportsman" angle was spin in response to negative public feedback.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I have no idea what they give/pay Tim now but during my time there his package was minimal. He was IMO the best ROI we got in all our racing programs. He was always willing to help, always wore the Ford hat, and was good for a couple wins per season. That's not to say Force wasn't great also, just that Tim gave us a phenomenal value.

If Tim is getting a bigger payday now I'm sure he earns it. He's a genuinely good dude.

that said there is definitely a feeling of "abandonment" among Ford racers and enthusiasts I hear it from drag racers, road racers, drifters, and parts distributors. There's a reason I still get calls nearly 3 years after I've gone.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Most, if not all, Ford fans miss you Jesse; I know I sure do!

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

You forgot to mention the Ford Family connection to Tasca!

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

They are only going to be selling one car in the near future so it makes sense for them to divert dollars toward the truck market.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

They have enough resources to do both. Racing and performance parts is a win-win industry where people can be thrilled you have something to sell them and you can make great money doing it. The money Ford is leaving on the table right now has me salivating at the opportunities. The fruit hangs so low it's going to touch the ground and start rotting. I have to remind myself that I left because I was a battle to be allowed to pick the harvest.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I know in the 90's my friend Pat Hennebery worked as a crew member on IMSA Dyson Racing Team. With a Riley/Scott car that ran a 5.0 Ford with electronic FI..
They won 24 Hours of Sebring..

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I met Mike D at the 50th Cobra Jet reunion and you could tell he knew nothing about Cobra Jet's or there history! He might be a nice guy, but having a Mopar guy following Jesse was a joke! It didn't mean a damn thing to him at that point!

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I do too, for sure. It hasn't been the same since you left....

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I have been on both sides of sponsorship and it is really not a win-win for all. The least important part of a racing sponsorship is the car on the track. What is most important is what the driver and team can do for them away from the track.

In the case of Ford, will dealers be excited to meet the driver during annual meetings and dealer conferences? Will the team be able to take a show car to dealerships and have the driver make public appearances at the dealerships and elsewhere whenever a national event comes to town? Will dealers and customers be able to follow the driver and team on TV?

I used to work for a company that has sponsored a NASCAR team for more than 20 years. At the time I worked for them, they had a driver who rarely won races but they were very happy with the driver because he was great with their customers. When they took him to a trade show to meet buyers from national store chains, the driver really knew how to interact with the buyers and make them feel special. He was also great with fans at the track.

Sponsors are more interested in what the deal gets them off the track than on.

Ford is not leaving any money on the table. It has the data that shows them where to put its money to bring the highest return.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Ford is not leaving any money on the table. It has the data that shows them where to put its money to bring the highest return.

I Ford truly knew this they would not has wasted all the money they waisted on the LeMans program.

A Bob Lutz quote I heard him say in a meeting is.

Who wins in Sports Car Racing in the US is the answer to a question nobody asks!

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Jim

I'm not going to debate the benefits of professional sponsorship and ROI, and that wasn't really the point of my comment, but I will say your statement about Ford not leaving money on the table is wrong.

Their performance parts division, that ran the CJ and all sportsman racing initiatives when I was there, is leaving tens if not hundreds of millions on the table. I have data and evidence in support of this statement. If they are an engine, every cylinder has a misfire code.

I don't believe for one second they don't have the resources to have happy customers, make money and build the brand. I've seen it, I've done it. And I know the amount of resources they have. Sportsman Racers feeling abandoned is not a resource issue.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Please explain how sponsoring sportsman racers will help Ford sell trucks and SUVs.

How would it help build the Ford brand?

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Really? It builds brand loyalty, dealer support,etc.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Among a very small group of people who are probably not among Ford's target market.

Why would dealers care? They want Ford to spend money that brings feet onto the showroom floor.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

I wish Jesse was still there at Ford. I enjoyed talking to you at SEMA. I agree Tim Wilkerson seems like a good guy.
I'm not sure the extent of the involvement in Sportsmen drag racing. Is there anything like the "dollar cars" in the 60's?

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Jim

I apologize if I've said something that's sending you down this sponsorship path. I'm not taking about sponsoring sportsman Racers, I'm talking about producing and selling parts they want (including racecars), offering aftersale support, and in racing a contingency program with some tech support. If you buy and race a Ford you should have someone who can answer basic questions about what you bought. If there's demand for a Ford aftermarket part, Ford should be positioned to be first to market if they choose to produce it.

I saw first hand how contingency on the right parts made sales, and the subsequent loss of sales when that contingency was removed. (But some contingency is Goodwill)

In any year I'd give out between 30-50 x plan vehicle discounts to racers, many of whom were new to a Ford and usually bought trucks that were high margin. This is small potatoes but I also can't quatify the ripple effect which I know exists. Enthusiasts once engaged go a long way. I once helped sell a fleet of 500 trucks in California because I helped the business owner win an AMBR award with his Ford crate engine powered Street rod.

There are several sportsman I know who chose to race a Ford because of the support they saw and subsequently spent millions on cars and parts for themselves, their family, their businesses.

Both the Tascas and Skillmans have brought in New business by being at the track.

My point wasn't to sponsor sportsman Racers, but I don't agree that they don't present a vehicle sales opportunity.

I don't think I've met you before but I appreciate your passion. I hope whatever brand you're racing has parts to sell you, people to help you go fast, and a robust contingency program should you find the winner's circle. Best if luck to you this season.

Re: Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support
 

Sure there are, Ford pretty much gave away the limited run GT40's to celebrities (not racers) who then sold them off at a profit.