2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ?

[Mack Reeves]

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

The word is Mike Delahanty is no longer with Ford Performance. So my question is who will be the contact for the Cobra Jet teams. How do we buy parts, and who do we order them from. Will they be replacing Mike or just not have a rep anymore. Does this mean all the teams are on their own.

I have yet to see one factory 2019 Cobra Jet produced. From my perspective things don't look good for the Cobra Jet program. If they are cutting back on personnel, does that send us a message to where the Cobra Jet program is heading.

What was once the best factory program to come out of the the big three is now just a shell of itself. Brian Wolfe and Jesse Kershaw brought the Cobra Jet back in 2008, and it forced Dodge and Chevy to do likewise. I can only imagine how they must feel looking at how the Cobra Jet program has declined. Yes I know the Showdown combo is very fast now, but there are very few new combo's for the rest of us Ford racer, unlike in the years between 2010-2014 where you had so many choices.

I know many teams were unhappy with they way the Cobra Jet programs was run in the past few years, but without a rep what do they do now. How about some feed back on what you guys think Ford Performance should do to keep the Cobra Jet program going for the future.

Ken, I do not know the situation at Ford.. But I do know the feeling about not having someone to keep you informed on what is going on.. I can't speak for all the Mopar teams but I feel the same way since Dale Aldo retired from Chrysler..

[Jeff Teuton]

Ditto Mack. Ditto, ditto. Mopar Performance , which does not exist any more, has no future. Dale was our last hope. You guys at Ford should praise the green earth for as much as you got. Between the manufacturers and NHRA, that class don't have a chance. Beer time.

[Dallas Kelly]

History would seem to suggest that 10 years, plus or minus, is the length of Ford's attention span when it comes to drag racing support on a macro scale. It "could" return in, say, 35 or 40 years.

[Tom P]

Originally Posted by Dallas Kelly

History would seem to suggest that 10 years, plus or minus, is the length of Ford's attention span when it comes to drag racing support on a macro scale. It "could" return in, say, 35 or 40 years.

62 lightweight Galaxie to Pinto ProStocks in 72.. 10 years!

The 82 EXP ProStocker and Motorsport parts till the 94 Mustang Bob Glidden didn't like... 12 years !

You are onto something!

[D.Johns]

You know what else happens in 7-10 year increments is US economic recessions. They tend to coincide with each other within a year +/-... which usually also coincides within 6-12 months of when we have an inverted yield curve... guess what happened a few weeks ago?? Default rates are way up on mortgage and automobile loans as another indicator with increasing days of inventory for both.

Hang on as 2019 should be a brace for impact time period. A lot of people are already bracing for it and I recommend it to.


Now as far as the involvement and leadership of the drag race program will always remain a challenge. It is a fine line between business and throwing good money after bad. The new drag race programs were initially designed to be profitable without the added marketing side as a bonus. It is a different environment we are living in today then we were in 08. A new business plan is needed to make the drag racing program viable. You also have to have someone that is very charismatic and be the driving force to push things through that you know is the right decision. It is certainly a job that not everyone is cut out for. The previous people on the Ford Performance group left some big shoes to fill. People that have moved on are really incredible people and they were the right people at the right time. Timing plays a large part how everyone view someone else as an success. Much like in sports people that were successful in the past environment wouldn’t be the superstars in the current environment. Same goes with today’s superstars not being able to have the same success in the past environment.

There are things I have agreed with and things I’ve disagreed with of how certain companies conduct their business and their vision going forward. We shall see the results of the sum of their choices in the future and try to learn from them. Hopefully everyone is able to grow stronger and better from their plans going forward.

Mike Delahanty I did not know very well and at first I was hesitant as to him being able to fill Brian Wolfe and Jesse Kershaw’s shoes. After having a conversation face to face with him I was able to breath a sigh of relief that there was still positive things happening within Ford Performance.

[Gary Summers]

Jesse Kershaw for president, get him back in there and those generic brands better take notice

[Frank Castros]

Originally Posted by Jeff Teuton

Ditto Mack. Ditto, ditto. Mopar Performance , which does not exist any more, has no future. Dale was our last hope. You guys at Ford should praise the green earth for as much as you got. Between the manufacturers and NHRA, that class don't have a chance. Beer time.

Hence, NHRA is done.

[BillyCarroll]

There are very few sponsors that have any real influence with the NHRA, let alone ones that spend time on the pit side that really matters. It seems (and still does) like there is some momentum gaining with the big three as far as seeing some real value in sportsman drag racing again and how it relates to winning on Sunday and selling on Monday. I’m not sure what Ford’s plan is after Mike or Mopar’s after Dale, but those positions cannot be done from the suite on Sunday.

[Ralph A Powell]

Dragracing has always been the Red Head Stepchild in Detroit! I have a copy of the 1969 Ford race budget. NASCAR was 19 million, TranAm was 4.8 million and Dragracing was just over 1 million. Oldsmoble was in Dragracing from 1982 to 1995 before being forced out by the Corp was sent to IRL till Olds was killed off. It had one of the best programs for Stock and Super Stock. It gave a lot of support to the Sportsman Elminators. Ask a lot of the old Oldsmobile racers.

[Ralph A Powell]

Originally Posted by Jeff Teuton

Ditto Mack. Ditto, ditto. Mopar Performance , which does not exist any more, has no future. Dale was our last hope. You guys at Ford should praise the green earth for as much as you got. Between the manufacturers and NHRA, that class don't have a chance. Beer time.

Joe
Will it be a slow Death like Pro Stock Truck was as Factory interest go away?