Ford OUT of NHRA?

[parrotwhisperer]

Drag Racing Online is reporting Ford is out of NHRA drag racing. According to DRO Force is out or cut way back along with Tasca and ALL Ford associated teams. Consider the source. DRO has a questionable record of accurate reporting, BUT. Sure hope this is not true.

 

[mastertone]

not good to hear but the nitro cars were never real fords anyway,, may be Force will be MOPAR!! I can only wish! What the hell was Toyota even involved in NHRA>>???

 

[JC]

They should at least ramp up their Pro Stock program. In my opinion that would be the class that would best represent their ability to make natural aspirated horsepower, which the average "Joe Hot Rodder" would be running.

 

[SundayNiagara]

Drag Racing Online is reporting Ford is out of NHRA drag racing. According to DRO Force is out or cut way back along with Tasca and ALL Ford associated teams. Consider the source. DRO has a questionable record of accurate reporting, BUT. Sure hope this is not true.

Remember the thread about the US Nationals sponsorship? That's when I heard about NHRA possibly losing the Ford deal AND guess what? It DID NOT come from DRO. Methinks Jeff might be on to something here.

 

[sammi]

Maybe it's not too late to save the factory involvement with NHRA. Someone in Pomona has to show some leadership and start a REAL pro stock class with actual cars normal mortals can watch on Sunday and buy on Monday. Even the newest newbie has to know that Allen Johnson drives a hand built race car, not a UAW built Avenger.

As painful as it may be, pro stock HAS to be stock bodied, Detroit (or Mexico) built muscle cars. Yes we will have to get used to 8-9 second pro stockers again. The current fleet of sort-of passenger car replica things in pro stock will make dandy B/A's or super gas cars.

I think Ford would like to be in front of more people, lacking that, maybe cars that actually help them market cars would be enough to keep them around.

 

[HEMI6point1]

Link: ::rag Racing Online::: Burk's Blast - Ford Could be Done with Pro Drag Racing - 7/23/2013

Sucks if true.

Methinks those Cobrajet mustangs are going to become collectors items....

 

[Paul]

The last time Force changed manufacture his team car showed up in a Ford before his car was converted over. I remember Ford was all behind using their teams in the Ford "Drive One" campaign and it even led to me buying my wife a new Flex back in 2010. I don't see them using their drivers like they used to.

 

[vegasnitro]

Methinks those Cobrajet mustangs are going to become collectors items....

They already are ... Most of the CobraJets (and DragPak Challengers for that matter) will never see the track. They will roll across the Barrett-Jackson stage in 30 years as 100% original - low mile examples with dreams of breaking the bank.

 

[none]

I hope this isn't true, but during at least one of the Force team interviews on Sunday I noticed that Ford wasn't mentioned when the driver rattled off the other sponsors. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence?

Seems as though it would really hit Tasca III hard... that fella bleeds blue!

 

[SundayNiagara]

I am told Force should get through this ok. Not sure of the other stuff, except the "official" deal. NHRA low-balled the Chevrolet/US Nationals deal because they were worried about the "official" deal with Ford.

 

[XPilot]

The last time Force changed manufacture his team car showed up in a Ford before his car was converted over. I remember Ford was all behind using their teams in the Ford "Drive One" campaign and it even led to me buying my wife a new Flex back in 2010. I don't see them using their drivers like they used to.

1997. Force ran a match race with Tony at Huntsville Dragway with Firebird bodies on the chassis right after Gainesville. At one point the ramp on one of the trailers was open with a Mustang body mounted on a chassis on the top deck. There was talk that Pontiac was going away and "another manufacturer" coming in, but it hadn't been released that it was a Ford. Anyone at Huntsville had a preview if they were paying attention. I've got a picture of it somewhere.

 

[SundayNiagara]

1997. Force ran a match race with Tony at Huntsville Dragway with Firebird bodies on the chassis right after Gainesville. At one point the ramp on one of the trailers was open with a Mustang body mounted on a chassis on the top deck. There was talk that Pontiac was going away and "another manufacturer" coming in, but it hadn't been released that it was a Ford. Anyone at Huntsville had a preview if they were paying attention. I've got a picture of it somewhere.

Force wanted funding for a second Pontiac & Pontiac said NO! Force then showed up at Gainesville with a Mustang body & Pontiac dropped him. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

[Dave]

Actually Tony Pedregon started the 1997 season in a Ford, and John still ran the Pontiac until Houston, which was his first race in a Ford.

You can watch the Winternationals here.
1997 NHRA Chief Auto Parts Winternationals - YouTube


Skip to 11:30 to see round 1 in Funny Car where they show John's Pontiac, and Steve Evans does a report next to Tony's Ford.

 

[JF]

http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/25824-force-addresses-prock-to-top-fuel

Force might go Top Fuel? In this article the man that is so accustomed to saying Ford never mentions it but does say AAA funny car.

Tasca could also go Top Fuel and still promote his dealership.

 

[SundayNiagara]

Is it possible that the Tasca deal, despite the long relationship, has run its course? There haven't been many wins!

 

[legendman]

With GM not having much of a presence in funny car I could see Ford's reasoning behind pulling out.
It's a shame, hate to see it happen, heck they didn't didn't even have a full pro stock field in Denver.

 

[mw6789]

They already are ... Most of the CobraJets (and DragPak Challengers for that matter) will never see the track. They will roll across the Barrett-Jackson stage in 30 years as 100% original - low mile examples with dreams of breaking the bank.

And that is just wrong. The Cobra Jets, Drag Paks, and COPOs should all be raced. Not on ebay or Barrett-Jackson with zero passes and wanting 3 times the purchase price.

 

[Professor Dave]

The cobra jets, dragpaks, and Camaro COPOs all make money for the manufacturers. I doubt they will be cut back. I'm not sure that the Nitro program is a profit center.

 

[TSK]

This ties into what the Agent reported on July 12 when it was reported Ford was probably going to be replaced as the official vehicle of the NHRA.

 

[SundayNiagara]

This ties into what the Agent reported on July 12 when it was reported Ford was probably going to be replaced as the official vehicle of the NHRA.

Bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!