NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Ford Hopes To Add Teams
There are seven full-time Ford teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series right now...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted July 25, 2009   Speedway, IN
“We’d love more teams to pick up in Ford,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford Racing Technology, Ford’s top executive in NASCAR. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
"We’d love more teams to pick up in Ford,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford Racing Technology, Ford’s top executive in NASCAR. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
The turmoil in the global automobile industry has made manufacturer support — or the lack thereof — one of the hottest topics in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage this year.

As part of its bankruptcy reorganization, General Motors already has trimmed tens of millions of dollars in direct cash subsidies to its Cup teams, as well as discontinued financial support of its NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series teams. Dodge, too, has been forced to cut aid to teams as part of the bankruptcy of its former parent company, Chrysler LLC. Last year, Ford Motor Co. bit the bullet and eliminated financial support for its Nationwide and Truck teams entirely. Even Toyota has reduced its NASCAR budget because of concerns over auto sales.

At least two existing Sprint Cup teams — Red Bull Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports — have been at the center of rumors that they could switch manufacturer alliances next year.

While none of the four manufacturers is throwing money around these days, Ford is hoping to eventually expand its presence in the Sprint Cup Series beyond five Roush Fenway Racing entries and one each from Yates Racing and Hall of Fame Racing, along with the part-time Wood Brothers Racing entry.

“We’d love more teams to pick up in Ford,” said Brian Wolfe, who in his role as director of Ford Racing Technology is Ford’s top executive in NASCAR. “What we won’t have is more cash to spend next year. But what we do have are the analytical tools, the contingency program we have, the resources that we have to help the teams improve their performance on the track. Along with being able to get engines from Roush-Yates Engines, which is a company we invest in reasonably heavily.”

And that combination, Wolfe hopes, might attract some interest, even if there is no cash to make part of the deal. “So for the teams, it means great analytical support to help their cars set up on the track right,” said Wolfe. “It means reliable, good motors on the track that we can offer to the teams.”

Wolfe said if teams can find sponsorship in lieu of cash subsidies from Ford, then the automaker can deliver race-winning support. “There are other avenues to get cash,” said Wolfe. “It’s very difficult to find avenues to get the kind of technical help we can provide or not having to invest in an entire development program, but know that you’re going to have engines that are competitive with the best on the track.”

So Ford is searching out some new recruits.

“We’re looking for a few new teams to come over in all the series, but there won’t be … any direct cash help other than contingencies,” Wolfe said, “but there will be help that I think will be valuable to a lot of the teams.”




Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of ?Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,? and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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