Ford shuns Stock and Super Stock support

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by Jesse Kershaw

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.

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.

[Jesse Kershaw]

Originally Posted by jwsamuel

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.

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.

[impstocker]

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..

[jwsamuel]

Originally Posted by Jesse Kershaw

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.

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.

Originally Posted by Jesse Kershaw

The money Ford is leaving on the table right now has me salivating at the opportunities.

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.

[Jesse Kershaw]

Originally Posted by Ralph A Powell

The dropped Force to pay for the GT LeMans program!

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