Roush Yates Performance Products Season Kickoff at Royal Purple Raceway

Roush Yates Performance Products is helping kick off the 2013 Fun Ford Weekend Series at Royal Purple Raceway with special gift certificates for race class winners, runner-up finishers  and even one lucky car show participant.

In addition to the previously announced payouts, winners in in Fast Ford, Quick Ford, DOT and the VMP Superchargers True Street Shootout will also receive a $50.00 Gift Certificate for use at Roush Yates Performance Products. Runner-up finishers in these same classes will receive a $25.00 Roush Yates Gift Certificates.

In addition to the race winners and runner-up winners, one lucky car show participant, selected from everyone registered, will receive a $150.00 Roush Yates Performance Products gift certificate.

For more information about the season-opening Fun Ford Weekend at Royal Purple Raceway, click here or visit their website here.

Gates open at 8 AM with Test-n-Tune and the Car Show registration starting at 9 AM.

Ford and Ford Racing Rocks 2012 SEMA Show

Once again, our friends at Ford and Ford Racing celebrated the Blue Oval in high-performance style at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV. From the incredible cars and trucks on display in their own massive booth, to the non-stop action of the “Ford Out Front” demonstration area and of course, to the countless Ford vehicles scattered about the show, it was pretty to easy to see how Ford Motor Company and Ford Racing continue to lead the way in the performance automotive aftermarket.

Visit the Fun Ford Weekend Facebook page to see an entire album of photos from the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Ford Mustang and F-Series named “Hottest Car and Truck of the 2012 SEMA Show”
Ford Mustang and F-Series pickups are officially the “Hottest Car and Truck” at the 2012 SEMA show in Las Vegas. Presented on Opening Day, the SEMA Award recognizes the most popular vehicles the organization’s members feature in their displays during the week-long trade show.

Before this year’s show opened, SEMA officials walked the floor of the giant aftermarket expo and counted the number of new 2012 and 2013 cars and trucks exhibited in booths. More Ford Mustangs and F-Series pickups are on display than any other car or truck – testament to the popularity and appeal of Ford vehicles.

“We’re pleased and proud SEMA members agree with what our customers have been saying – that Ford Mustang and F-Series are the industry’s hottest car and truck respectively,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service.

The launch of the new 2013 Mustang in the spring was strong, with Mustang sales this year up 18 percent over last year. Ford F-Series continues its 36-year record as the best-selling pickup in America, on pace to be the best-selling vehicle in America for 31 straight years.

Aftermarket exhibitors aren’t the only ones featuring Ford Mustang and F-Series in their booths. Ford is also featuring more than 10 Mustangs and F-Series trucks, showing off the extreme versatility of these iconic Ford vehicles.

Ford Racing Pulls the Wraps Off a 5.0L Twin Turbo Cobra Jet Mustang Concept
In the perpetual quest to stay ahead of the competition, the team at Ford Racing dug into Ford’s own production car bag of tricks and debuted a turn-key, factory-built turn-key drag racer “concept” with a twin turbocharged engine, essentially adopting the same award-winning technology found on road-going EcoBoost engines to a race car.

Cobra Jet’s Winning heritage
When the original ’68 Mustang Cobra Jet drag racers rolled out of the Mustang factory, they relied on 7.0-liter V8 engines with massive four-barrel carburetors to hustle them down the strip.

“When a new generation of Cobra Jets arrived four decades later, they immediately began winning with a modern, fuel-injected 5.4-liter V8 topped with a belt-driven supercharger,” recalls Jesse Kershaw, Ford drag racing competition manager. “Over the past four years, the Cobra Jet has gone on to become both a fan and competitor favorite, the most successful late-model vehicle in drag racing.”

While superchargers provide instant on-demand power, they can also sap a lot of power especially at high boost levels. The 2.9-liter blower used on the 2013 Cobra Jet uses as much as 100hp to drive the supercharger – that’s power no longer available for acceleration.

 

Twin Intercooled Turbochargers = No Waiting

Fortunately, every internal combustion engine has a plentiful source of energy that normally goes to waste right out the exhaust pipe. Turbochargers harness the thermal and kinetic energy in the exhaust gases to drive turbines and compressors that force more air into the engine for a big increase in power without most of the parasitic losses of a supercharger.

“Ford has embraced turbocharging technology and a lot of our production engineers are working with  the technology on a daily basis, so we have a lot of knowledge,” says Rob Deneweth, Cobra Jet powertrain development engineer. “So we decided to apply that knowledge to the Mustang Cobra Jet to showcase what our engineers and suppliers know how to do.”

Turbocharger design and release engineer Dave Born joined the Cobra Jet team after working on the 3.5-liter EcoBoost^® V6 for the F-150 to help make this concept a reality. “When done right, turbocharging is just as good as or better than supercharging,” Born confirms.

Check out this video of the Twin Turbo Cobra Jet Mustang concept in action.

“To overcome the biggest perceived drawback of turbocharging – the lag – we’ve selected the smallest possible turbos that will give us the airflow we need,” he added. “We’ve also got some other enhancements to help improve the responsiveness; we have very low inertia and very low internal friction.”

Limited-Edition Ford Racing History Artwork Unveiled at SEMA; Sales to Benefit JDRF

A special Sam Bass painting that celebrates Ford’s storied 111-year racing history was also debuted at SEMA. Proceeds from the sales of the limited-edition prints will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF. Commissioned for his private collection by Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of Henry Ford, the original artwork dramatically portrays some of the greatest moments in Ford Racing history.

There will be only 500 numbered prints created, all hand-signed by Edsel B. Ford II and Sam Bass, and retailing for $449 on http://www.fordimages.com. All proceeds from sales will benefit JDRF.

EcoBoost Technology Highlighted in Ford’s August Motorsports Programs

Ford’s EcoBoost technology is taking over the world – at least when it comes to Ford Motor Company’s motorsports program in the month of August.

 

 

 

 

 

Ford’s latest engine technology, which provides increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions without sacrificing power, has been a major hit with consumers worldwide. Beginning with the first weekend in August, motorsports fans will get a heavy dose of Ford EcoBoost highlighted through a unique livery on selected racing vehicles around the world.

Ford will use its North American racing programs in NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide, NHRA drag racing and Best in the Desert, while its FIA World Rally Championship and China Touring Car Championship programs will also participate.

“Simply put, our Ford EcoBoost technology is going global with our production cars around the world, and we wanted to find a unique way to highlight that fact,” said Jim Farley, Ford group vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service.  “What better way to do that than to use our global motorsport program as a way to reach out with the Ford EcoBoost message to the millions of fans who follow the sport all across the globe.

“Motorsport fans are just like any consumer.  They care about having a combination of power and fuel economy, whether it’s in the cars they drive to the track, or in the cars that their favorite drivers compete with on the track.”

The livery campaign kicks off on the weekend of Aug. 3-5 with NHRA star Bob Tasca III sporting Ford EcoBoost on his NHRA Mustang Funny Car in Seattle for the annual Northwest Nationals while Petter Solberg and Jari-Matti Latvala will team up in their Ford Fiesta RS WRC for the World Rally Championship event in Finland.

The promotion will continue the following weekend of August 10-12 at Watkins Glen International as champion drivers Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, respectively.  Kenseth will be in his No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Fusion while Stenhouse drives his No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Mustang.

Two other series will round out the Ford EcoBoost blitz August 17-19 with Steve LaRoza piloting his Ford EcoBoost-powered F-150 in the Las Vegas to Reno off-road race sanctioned by the Best in the Desert Racing Association, and Fan Gaoxiang will sport Ford EcoBoost on his Focus in the China Touring Car Championship event at the Ordos International Circuit in China.

The Ford EcoBoost livery made its debut on the 2013 NASCAR Fusion that debuted in January and race fans have also seen the livery debut earlier this year in series such at Rally America and Formula Ford Great Britain.

“Not every race car with Ford EcoBoost on it during those weekends actually runs an EcoBoost engine,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “First and foremost, this is a marketing effort to let the world know more about this great technology.

“But the fact is, we do have cars in World Rally, Best in the Desert, and sports car racing that are currently using Ford EcoBoost Technology in competition.  This helps us prove-out the technology in terms of power, fuel economy and reliability in a competitive and demanding race setting, then take those learnings from the track to the street.”

What is EcoBoost?
Ford EcoBoost, which uses turbocharging and direct gasoline injection to boost engine output, reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency by as much as 20 percent, made its debut in the marketplace in 2009 in the Ford Taurus SHO.   Since its debut, the engines have beaten Ford sales expectations, brought younger, more affluent customers to the brand and returned some of the highest customer satisfaction numbers the company has ever received.

Ford plans to offer EcoBoost engines in 11 vehicles in 2012, up from seven in 2011, and tripling the capacity of EcoBoost-equipped Ford vehicles.    Expanded availability in high-volume nameplates helps make fuel economy more affordable for hundreds of thousands of drivers.

There were a record 127,683 EcoBoost-equipped vehicles sold by Ford in 2011. For 2013, Ford expands the EcoBoost technology into even more vehicles, including the all-new 2013 Ford Escape and 2013 Ford Fusion.

EcoBoost engines are available worldwide on Ford vehicles, including:

• 1.0-liter three-cylinder
•  1.6-liter four-cylinder
•  2.0-liter four-cylinder
• 3.5-liter six-cylinder

EcoBoost engines are a key element of the power of choice Ford offers buyers seeking fuel-efficient solutions. From EcoBoost to hybrids and from plug-in hybrids to full electric vehicles, this year Ford will offer nine vehicles reaching an anticipated 40 mpg or more.

By 2013, Ford plans to offer an EcoBoost engine in up to 90 percent of its North American nameplates, supporting global sales of 1.5 million EcoBoost-powered vehicles per year.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 168,000 employees and about 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Historic Maple Grove Raceway’s Fun Ford Weekend Schedule Announced

What better way to celebrate your 50th year of some of the best drag racing on the east coast than to host a Fun Ford Weekend? 2012 not only marks Maple Grove’s golden anniversary of racing, but August 17 – 19 also marks the return of the Fun Ford Weekend Series presented by Roush Yates, JE Pistons and Joe Gibbs Driven to the SE corner of the Keystone State.

“When it comes to some of the most memorable moments in drag racing, there aren’t many tracks that hold the history of Maple Grove,” says Jeff Lacina, Marketing Director for the Fun Ford Weekend Series. “From nostalgia racing, Top Fuel dragsters, and jet-powered vehicles to Street Bike races and Street Legal Grudge racing, the team at Maple Grove always puts together top-notch events for both the racers and the spectators.”

Maple Grove Raceway enters its 50th year of continuous operation in 2012. The facility owned by the Stauffer family began operating in 1962. Maple Grove Raceway is the site of many historic drag racing firsts: in 1989 Joe Amato and Shirley Muldowney recorded the first ever side-by-side four-second Top Fuel Dragster runs, the first ever side by side 300 mph T/F passes, and many other of the quickest and fastest runs in NHRA history.  The Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals was held at Maple Grove Raceway beginning in 1985 and was then called the Castrol GTX Keystone NHRA Nationals.

“We hope to see a huge turnout of Ford racers and fans as Fun Ford Weekend returns to Maple Grove Raceway August 17 – 19,” adds Lacina.

Admission Fees
$30 2-day crew or spectator
$20 1-day crew or spectator
Children 12 & under Free
$10 Ford Bonus Ticket (One Day w/ Car Show Entry Only)

Car Show Entry Fees, Car show Friday and Saturday, awards both days

$25 One Day Car Show entry
$45 Two day Car Show entry
$10 Ford Bonus Ticket (One Day w/ Car Show Entry Only)

Swap Meet Entry Fees
$25 One Day Swap Meet Entry
$45 Two day Swap Meet Entry

Car Show Classes
-  Mustang: 1964-’69, 1970-’73, 1974-’78, 1979-’93, 1994-’98, 1999-2004, 2005-’08, 2009-present
-  Conversion (Ford powered vehicle)
- Competition Sports: GT 40, Cobra, Kit Car, Road Race, Etc.
- Sport Compact
- Open
- Thunderbird
- Pick-Up Full/Mini 4WD
- Galaxie, Fairlane, Torino
- Pick-Up Full/Mini 2WD
- Rod (pre-1948)
- SUV 4WD
- SUV 2WD
- Lincoln
- Mercury
- Nostalgia
- Big Car

Special Car Show Awards to include:
Track Choice
Best Wheels
Cool Factor
People’s Choice
Best Engine
Best Paint/Body
Best of Show and more.

Dash plaques will be awarded to all participants in race and show.

Event Schedule

Friday, August 17:
Auto Locator Grudge Racing Series
Gates Open: 4 PM
Racing: 5 PM until 10 PM (staging lanes close 9:30PM)
Open for Fords, $25 trailered entries
$20 street driven entries
Crew and spectators $10

Saturday, August 18:
Gates Open: 8 AM
Racer tech: 8:30 AM – 4 PM
Car Show Registration: 9:30 AM – 1 PM
Racer Time Trials: 9:30 AM – 4 PM
Rear of Staging Lanes Close: 3:30 PM
Fun Ford Feature Show: 1 PM and 4 PM
Top 20 Picks presented: 3 PM
Gambler’s Race: 5 PM

Sunday, August 19:
Gates Open: 8 AM
Racer Tech (new entries): 8 AM – 9 AM
New entry time run: 9 AM
Car Show Registration: 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Eliminations: 10 AM
Fun Ford Feature Show: 1 PM and 4 PM
Car Show Judging begins: 12 PM
Sunday Car Show Awards: 2:30 PM

Bracket Racing

Quick Ford (B1)
Entry free $50 (2-day) car and driver
$1,200 winner
$500 runner-up
$150 semifinalists
$30 quarterfinalists

Fast Ford (B2)
Entry free $45 (2-day) car and driver
$800 winner
$300 runner-up
$75 semifinalists
$30 quarterfinalists

Street Ford (DOT)
Entry free $35 (2-day) car and driver
$175 winner
$60 runner-up

Mustang Madness (MM)
Entry fee $25 (daily) car and driver
New elimination each day!
4-foot trophy to winner
3-foot trophy to runner-up
2-foot trophies to semifinalists

Tough Truck (TT)
Entry fee $25 (daily) car and driver
New elimination each day!
4-foot trophy to winner
3-foot trophy to runner-up
2-foot trophies to semifinalists

Special Saturday Night Gamblers race
Entry Fee, $25 car and driver, pay at the first floor of the Auto Plus tower
Purse determined on the number of entrants, purse announced at the conclusion of round 1

Fun Ford Weekend: Special Awards

Once again, Fun Ford Weekend will be offering the grassroots racing enthusiast an award and recognition that can’t be earned anywhere else. MustangGuys.com is sponsoring a special award called the “Fastest 5.0 Award” at all 12 of the 2012 Fun Ford Weekend events.

The MustangGuys.com Fastest 5.0 Award will be won by a 5.0-powered Mustang meeting the following requirements:

1. Eligible to any driver of a Ford Mustang entered in the Fast Ford (Electronics) or Quick Ford (No-Electronics) Bracket Classes
2. The Mustang must have a 5.0L displacement engine (please note this fact on your Tech Card)
3. Windsor or Coyote engine
4. Only one power adder is allowed (turbo charger, super charged, or nitrous)
5. The MustangGuys.com decal given each participant their event goodie bag MUST BE DISPLAYED on the car before first round of eliminations
6. The award will be given to the car/driver that meets these specifications and posts the fastest MPH during the first round of eliminations. If there is a tie between more than one racer for the fastest mile per hour, the tie breaker will be closest to dial-in
7. Winner will pose with their MustangGuys.com Fastest 5.0 Award in a picture for event results reporting
8. If you wish to compete for the MustangGuys.com Fastest 5.0 Award, PLEASE BE SURE to note your vehicle’s 5.0 / 302 cid engine displacement on your event Tech Card.

Each event winner will then be featured on the MustangGuys.com web site and will be eligible for a special offer after the race and their recognition.

Fun Ford Weekend 2012 Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge
Rules & Race Format

Overview:
The Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge is designed to provide a fun, safe, high-profile race class for Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustangs and their owners and race teams within the racing programs at the 2012 Fun Ford Weekend (FFW) Series events. The Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge is one of the “premiere classes” for the event.

The Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge will be run at ALL 12 Fun Ford Weekend events in 2012. Click here for the schedule.

Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge Competition Format
*The class will be run as a competition index, allowing for all Cobra Jet variants to compete.
* The class will be heads up with a staggered start based upon the vehicle’s NHRA natural class index. This is commonly referred to as a Competition Index Class.
* A minimum of four (4) cars must register for the class or it will not be run
* Starting index carries through all rounds – there will be NO index lowering like Competition Eliminator

Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge Fun Ford Weekend Entry Fee:
* Team Entry Fee: $75 per team (team is one race car, driver and up to three (3) crew members

Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge Purse:
* Prizes for the Competition Index Class will be awarded to the winner (a customized Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge jacket). The Runner-up will receive an Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge trophy/wall plaque.

Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge Class Rules:
The class is designed for all Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustangs to compete. Where applicable, racers with comparably equipped Cobra Jet Mustangs will run in heads-up competition. Racers from different classes will run a Competition Index format. All Cobra Jet Challenge cars must pass their their respective NHRA Stock or Super Stock Tech requirements with the following exceptions;
* Any tire is allowed
* Front passenger seat may be removed
* Rear seat may be removed

All Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge racers must run in their current natural class as determined by current NHRA horsepower factor and NHRA Stock Car Classification weight.

Vehicle Base Weights:
Total vehicle weight minimum with driver is curb weight as listed in the NHRA Stock Car Classification. Stock Car Classification can be found on NHRA.com under Competition. (NOTE: FFW’s Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge does NOT use the 170 lb “driver addition” in weight classification).

See “Example of vehicle weights and elimination run” below.

Tech Inspection:
Participants are subject to tech inspection in accordance with Fun Ford Weekend (FFW) rules. Do not enter your Cobra Jet for competition if you are not prepared to prove the legality and compliance of your vehicle. See FFW General Regulatios and NHRA Rulebook for full details.

Class Safety Requirements:
1) It is the participant’s responsibility to familiarize oneself with the requirements as found in the 2012 NHRA rulebook and 2012 FFW General Regulations.
2) The participant agrees that the participant bears the ultimate responsibility at all times to ensure the safety of the participant’s vehicle and to ensure that participant complies with all applicable NHRA and FFW rules.
3) The participant agrees that participant is in the best position to know about the construction and operation of the participant’s vehicle, equipment and clothing, and whether there has been compliance with all applicable NHRA and FFW rules.

Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge – Spirit of the Rules
Any racer or race team acting outside the “spirit of the rules” for the Aeromotive Cobra Jet Challenge can be disqualified from the event by the agreement of at least two members of the host track Tech Department and an official representative of the Fun Ford Weekend Series, Aeromotive or Ford Racing.

How the races work:
For full Stock Eliminator and Super Stock rules, consult the 2012 NHRA Rule Book.

Example of vehicle weights and elimination run:
Vehicle 1: 2010 4.6L 3V Cobra Jet Stocker coupe automatic – 3,050 lbs. as listed on NHRA.com. This is a natural J Stock Automatic with an index of 12.45 ET.

Vehicle 2: 2008 5.4L Cobra Jet Super Stocker coupe automatic – 3,240 lbs. as listed on NHRA.com. This is a natural Super Stock D Automatic with an index of 10.20 ET.

In Eliminations:
The difference in competition indexes for these two vehicles is 2.25 seconds (12.45 – 10.20 = 2.25)

Vehicle 1 will leave first
Vehicle 2 will leave 2.25 seconds later
The first vehicle to cross the finish line wins the race!

Non-Competition Index Races
Races pairing two Cobra Jet Mustangs in the same class will be run heads-up.

For more information about the Maple Grove Raceway Fun Ford Weekend event, visit their website at: www.maplegroveraceway.com

Attend a Fun Ford Weekend, Win a 5.0L Coyote Engine From Ford Racing

Fun Ford Weekend officials along with the Ford Racing Performance Group are proud to announce the 2012 Ford Racing – Fun Ford Weekend Coyote Create Engine Sweepstakes.

“We are excited to see the growth of the 2012 Fun Ford Weekend Series, and proud to support the series through the Coyote Sweepstakes,” said George Goddu, Business Manager of the Ford Racing Performance Group. “The new five-liter engine is taking the performance world by storm. Enthusiasts are using the 5.0 in everything and anything, from race cars and street cars, to resto mods and rat rods. The

Sweepstakes is an opportunity for one lucky Fun Ford Weekend attendee to win one of these crate motors directly from Ford Racing.”

That’s right, attend a 2012Fun Ford Weekend (as a participant or a spectator) or visit the Fun Ford Weekend website to complete your entry to win a brand new 5.0L Coyote crate engine from the Ford Racing Performance Group. The Ford Racing crate engine that will be awarded to one Fun Ford Weekend participant, M-6007-M50,has a retail value of $6,999.

“Since it was re-introduced to the Ford lineup in the 2011 Mustang GT, the Coyote 5.0L engine has re-ignited the 5.0 ‘fever’ within the Mustang and Ford fans, enthusiasts and owners,” said Jeff Lacina, Marketing Director for the Fun Ford Weekend Series. “This is an incredible engine and the Ford faithful are installing it into an unbelievable range of Ford cars and trucks, both old and new. What better way to rev up our Fun Ford Weekend participants and fans than by giving away one of these awesome engines at the end our 2012 Fun Ford Weekend schedule?”

How to Enter:
To enter the Sweepstakes, participants must complete an entry form wherever the Ford Racing – Fun Ford Weekend 5.0L Crate Engine Sweepstakes information is displayed Fun Ford Weekend Series events or online at www.funfordweekend.com. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on 9/29/12. Go HERE for complete Coyote Sweepstakes Rules.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ROUSH YATES FOR THEIR SECOND CONSECUTIVE DAYTONA 500 WIN!

Matt Kenseth crossed the finish line first to become the 2012 Daytona 500 Champion with a Roush Yates Engine under his hood! Help us celebrate his victory with this commemorative t-shirt featuring the #17 car and Roush Yates’ famous FR9 engine. Only available for a limited time with limited quantities. Heavyweight white cotton shirt available in sizes Adult Small – XXXL.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS TODAY!

2011 in the Rear View: Fun Ford Weekend returns in Ford Racing’s 110th Year Celebration

With 2011 disappearing in the rear view mirror, it will go down in the history books as one of the best for Ford fans, enthusiasts and racers from around the world.

The folks at Ford and Ford Racing used the 2011 racing season to celebrate the company’s 110th birthday. And what better way to start the year-long celebration than with a Daytona 500 win by Trevor Bayne in the Wood Brothers’ famous #21 Ford.

In NHRA Full Throttle Drag racing action, John Force Racing started off the year with Mike Neff scoring a runner-up finish at the season-opening Winternationals at Pomona. From here, Ford racers and their teams powered their way to an impressive list of event wins and championships.

Check out Ford Racing’s official recap of the season and this 2011 Ford Racing highlight video. Yes indeed, Henry Ford would have been proud.

The Return of the Fun Ford Weekend Series

With the pro Ford racers tearing up tracks all around the country, grassroots Ford enthusiasts were greeted with the announcement in May of the re-launch of the Fun Ford Weekend Series presented by Roush Yates and JE Pistons and a five-event schedule.

The opening “re-launch” event of 2011 was held in Denver. “Bandimere Speedway was honored to kick off the first of five events to showcase the reestablishment of the Fun Ford Weekend Series,” said John “Sporty” Bandimere. “Ford enthusiasts are some of the most passionate automotive enthusiasts and if the success of the events is any indication of the “blue oval excitement” building for 2012, these Fun Ford Weekends are going to be the “must attend” events of the year.”

Fun Ford Weekends: Bigger and Event Better in 2012

With the inagural season in the record books, Fun Ford Weekend owners and management have been working hard to grow not only the number of 2012 events, but also the scope and number for Ford-focused activities going on at each.

“Everyone involved in the relaunch of the Fun Ford Weekend has one goal for 2012: make the series even better for all the faithful Ford owners, racers and fans,” says Jeff Lacina, Marketing and Sponsor Relations Manager for the series. “Ford fans were very excited to see the series back and their comments, feedback and suggestions were taken to heart by the series owners. Thus, all the Ford faithful are going to see a few changes and enhancements to the events in 2012.”

With the opening event of the 2012 season just three months away, many track and series owners are still finalizing their racing programs. (See the Royal Purple Raceway season-opening race classes here) In general, here are some of the enhancements to the series participants can expect;

* More heads-up racing classes

* The Cobra Jet Challenge (sponsor announcement coming soon!)

* Autocross competitions at multiple events

* Increased participation from previous series and event sponsors

* More True Street Events

* Larger car shows and midway vendor displays

* Registration for season-long give-aways

* Expanded media coverage of all events

* Special promotions from series and event sponsors

These are just a few of the things Fun Ford Weekend participants can expect to see in 2012.

About Fun Ford Weekend

The family-oriented Fun Ford Weekend series is run by each of the tracks that host the events. Each track creates its own event schedule, racing structure, car show, and if adequate space, will also have autocross competition. The goal of the series is to get as many automotive enthusiasts that have a passion for the Ford brand to participate, celebrate and enjoy the events. For more information on Fun Ford Weekend, visit www.funfordweekend.com.

 

 

Ford Brand Sales Top 2 Million for 1st Time Since 2007

SPECIAL FROM: Ford Motor Company

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 30, 2011 – U.S. sales of the Ford brand this week topped 2 million vehicles for the first time since 2007. The milestone makes Ford the best selling brand in America and the first automotive brand to hit the 2 million mark since 2007.

“Ford’s lineup of high-quality, fuel-efficient cars, utilities and trucks continues to attract more and more new customers,” said Erich Merkle, Ford’s sales analysis manager. “With gasoline prices tracking higher than last year, customers continue to move toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, whether they are passenger cars or utilities.”

Both the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus achieve 40 mpg highway, while the Ford Explorer brings a class-leading 28 mpg highway with its new EcoBoost engine.

Ford’s smallest utility, the fuel-efficient Escape, has achieved record sales volumes this year and is America’s best selling utility vehicle.

Overall, Ford brand small cars are on pace to post an increase of more than 20 percent this year. Ford brand utilities are tracking to post more than a 30 percent gain.

Most Ford products deliver best-in-class fuel economy and provide customers with the opportunity to choose what best works for them – from EcoBoost-powered gasoline vehicles to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electrified vehicles. In fact, with the company’s new electrified vehicle introductions, nearly one-third of Ford’s vehicle lines in the U.S. will feature a model with 40 mpg or more in 2012 – a claim no other full-line automaker can match.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

Ford Racing Debuts 2013 Cobra Jet Mustang at PRI Show

Ever since it was originally introduced at the 1968 NHRA Winternationals, the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet has set numerous racing records and has become a legendary Mustang for any Ford performance fan. Fast forward to 2008 when a entirely new generation of Mustang and Ford Racing fans were re-introduced to the legendary Cobra Jet Mustang with a very limited product run to celebrate it’s 40th anniversary.

Since then, our horsepower-happy friends at Ford also produced 2010 and 2012 Cobra Jet Mustangs, each year proving to be more popular (and powerful) than the preceding.

While they had some significant tire tracks to fill, the modern Cobra Jet Mustangs and their owners have done an outstanding job in creating their own legacies of performance at drag strips all across North America. To wit, today’s CJ Mustangs have become the winningest late model vehicle in NHRA competition with numerous national event wins and multiple class records.

Ford used the 2011 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Orlando, Florida to pull the raps off their latest version of the Cobra Jet and of course, Fun Ford Weekend was there.

With more than three seasons of testing, racing, and customer feedback the 2013 Cobra J

et marks Ford Racing’s continued evolution of the factory-produced turnkey race car. Check out our walk-around videos of the car.

“The 2008 Cobra Jet is a great car. It does everything we wanted it to do,” said George Goddu, business manager, Ford Racing Performance Group. “We’re really proud of that car, but we improve with each new Cobra Jet offering and 2013 is no exception.”

For the 2013 edition, the Cobra Jet will offer two 5.0L TiVCT engine options. Customers may choose a naturally aspirated engine with Cobra Jet induction system, CNC ported heads, high lift cams and low-drag accessory drive, or a 2.9L Whipple supercharged version with CNC port matched manifold and heads, and a proprietary 10-rib supercharger drive system for high rpm use.

“The 5.0L has all the attributes to make a world class drag racing engine and is ideal for the Cobra Jet,” said Goddu. “Both the naturally aspirated and supercharged engines will be competitive as delivered.”

Additionally, the speed-freak engineers at Ford Racing spent a lot of time improving not just the engine package, the the chassis as well. Numerous lightweight body modifications provide better weight distribution and while a new electric power steering unit provides better drivability without parasitic horsepower loss. A new roll cage design is optimized for safety and chassis rigidity while the brake pedal ratio has been revised for more modulation and stopping power. And finally, a revised rear suspension geometry delivers faster and more consistent 60-foot times.

The 2013 Cobra Jet is priced to be the best value in the market with an approximate MSRP of $86,000 with the naturally aspirated engine option, and $93,000 with the supercharged engine. Additional options and pricing will be announced January 2012.

Much like many of Ford Racing’s previous turnkey race cars, the 2013 Cobra Jet Mustang will be built by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at the Auto Alliance International (AAI) assembly plant in Flat Rock, Mich. Production of Cobra Jets will commence in June 2012, with delivery of all vehicles expected mid-summer of 2012.

Cobra Jet components will be available through Ford Performance Parts, allowing racers to upgrade their Mustangs to Cobra Jet specifications.

2013 Cobra Jet production is limited to only fifty (50) units and orders placed through Ford dealers will be filled on a first come first served basis. (Part number M-FR500-CJ).

Finally, all Cobra Jet fans can help choose the color of the 2013 Cobra Jet – classic white, silver or black – by voting online at Ford Racing.com. Voting ends December 31, 2011.