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A new Ford racing boss? Hmmmm, wonder what that portends for 2010?
Ford's new guy, Jamie Allison (Photo: Ford)
By Mike Mulhern
mikemulhern.net
While General Motors and Chrysler-Dodge and Toyota have all been pushing various 'green' initiatives, like electric-powered cars and hybrid-powered cars, Ford Motor Company has unabashedly been promoting a vast lineup of high-performance machinery, like the Shelby 427 and other Mustangs.
It has been a curious dichotomy, highlighted perhaps by Ford's new NASCAR marketing push with the Nationwide Mustang...while Chevrolet continues to pointedly ignore joining the racing punch line.
So news Friday of a new Ford racing boss comes at an interesting moment.
When Daytona opens for SpeedWeeks in 48 days, with that Media Frenzy, there will be a new NASCAR racing boss for Ford teams, with Friday's announcement that Jamie Allison is taking the reins from Brian Wolfe.
Wolfe, Ford racing director since July 2008, is leaving the racing end of the auto industry for a new job in Ford's global product development.
Allison, who has been in Ford's racing operations for six years now, takes over just as chaos reigns in rival GM and Chrysler camps at the very top levels, where shakeups have come often lately. And Ford has been moving to take advantage of that turmoil to gain market share. How that might work in 2010 in NASCAR is not clear yet.
Allison has a background in both engineering and marketing; in 2003 he took over Ford's racing performance parts operations.
"I'm excited about the challenge," Allison says. "Brian Wolfe really made a great difference in the program in his time as director, opening up so many opportunities to reach out, not just to the professional racers but to the grassroots and sportsman racers as well. He installed a philosophy that we were going to be 'racer-friendly' in all that we do, and we as a team will carry that forward."
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Ford needs both engineering
Ford needs both engineering and marketing if they are going to leverage their expenditure in NASCAR. After an abysmal year with few wins and major drivers shut out, Ford needs to come up with something - the last engine upgrade helped a little but the results aren't there.
I think it is great that the only domestic car maker NOT to take our tax money is at least actively involved and making changes to help the sport, if not their sales. I think the Nationwide car is a great idea and hope is translated into more sales for these guys.
It's the COT, man. Just that
It's the COT, man. Just that simple.
Unfortunately last season it
Unfortunately last season it was as Roush goes so goes the Ford fold. With the addition of Petty Motorsports perhaps their new perspective might ignite a little intramural competition should the Petty team have some early season success. I hope your Raceline predictions come to pass Mr. Mulhern.
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