DEARBORN, Mich., Oct. 8, 2008 – Multiple championships, wins, pole positions and notable milestones, 2008 proved to be another banner year for Ford Racing as the "Blue Oval" showed once again its racing prowess in multiple series and reminded motorsport enthusiasts around the world that racing is in Ford's DNA.
Ford Racing has competed in eight series, bringing home two driver championships, one manufacturer championship, runner up results in another two series and miles upon miles of lasting memories.
NASCAR
In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the consistent brilliance of Carl Edwards led Roush Fenway Racing in its pursuit of the championship. A series-leading nine wins and 27 top-10 results marked Edwards as the most consistent driver over the 36-race schedule as he garnered a second place finish in “The Chase.” Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle (two wins) and Matt Kenseth also claimed coveted spots in the postseason playoffs and finished third and 11th, respectively.
Edwards showed the same consistency in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, posting seven wins and 22 top-10 results en route to a second place finish by a mere 21 points. Matt Kenseth posted a win at Atlanta in one of his seven Nationwide starts and Marcus Ambrose captured his first NASCAR win with a stellar driving performance at the old road course of Watkins Glen.
Ford Racing picked up Rookie of the Year honors in the Craftsman Truck Series thanks to the efforts of Colin Braun of Roush Fenway Racing. Braun becomes the sixth Roush Fenway driver to win the Truck Rookie honors. Braun’s teammate Eric Darnell captured the lone Ford win and finished fourth overall in the Craftsman Truck Series.
NHRA
After an emotional 2007 season, John Force Racing was ready to once again claim its position as the dominant team in the NHRA’s Funny Car division, and they did it by putting all four of its Mustangs in the 10-driver Countdown to 1 playoffs.
Robert Hight won the season-opening race and three races total en route a fourth place finish in the Funny Car championship. Hight, the runner up in the title chase the last two seasons, went to the final race at Pomona controlling his own destiny in the Countdown, but smoked tires led to a first round exit and ended his 2008 title hopes.
The Forces – father John and daughter Ashley - recorded milestone victories. For John, it was a record 126th victory and his 1000th round win while Ashley defeated her father for her first win at Atlanta in March.
A name familiar with Ford and with drag racing made its return in 2008. Bob Tasca III formed his own Funny Car team and brought Motorcraft and Quick Lane back to the drag strip. Tasca narrowly missed the Countdown to 1, but having built the team from scratch in less than two months, the mere fact he was on track in 2008 and was competitive was a testament to a successful rookie campaign as an owner and driver.
Mustang and Road Racing
In November of 2007, Ford Racing debuted the competition-ready FR500S Mustang that was to be featured in the new Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup road racing series. The season kicked off in May at Road Atlanta at and an unknown young driver by the name of Andrew Caddell captured the first race. He captured the second and the third as well, and would lead the championship wire-to-wire becoming the series first champion.
With an average of 24 cars on the grid, the Mustang Challenge enjoyed a successful first season and provided an opportunity for sportsman road racers to showcase their skills.
In the Grand Am KONI Challenge Series, Mustang FR500C drivers Scott Maxell and Joe Foster, driving for Hyper Sport, captured their second driver and team championship in the last four years and they led a furious Ford rally to win the manufacturer’s championship. Ford finished with five cars in the top-10 in points, three wins and 357 laps led, reinforcing again the Mustang’s bloodlines as a race car.
In Grand Am Rolex Daytona Prototypes, Ford finished second in the manufacturer’s standings and placed two teams in the top-10 in points including the AIM Autosport entry of Brian Frisselle and Mark Wilkins, which piloted their No. 61 Ford-Riley Daytona Prototype to fifth in the standings.
In European GT4, the Mustang again was the championship-winning car. Paced by four wins and an amazing podium result in 14 of the 17 races, Eric de Doncker repeated as the GT4 European Cup champion in his Mustang FR500GT4.
FIA World Rally
In the FIA World Rally Championship the powerful BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team has locked up second place in the 2008 championship, but maintain their championship aspirations with one race to go. The two-time defending world champions trail by 11 points with one race remaining in early December.
New CobraJet
Finally, a familiar friend returned in 2008. At SEMA in early November, Ford Racing unveiled the 40th Anniversary Mustang Cobra Jet. The original Cobra Jet was the brainchild of Bob Tasca and has been a legendary force in the drag racing world since its debut. A limited edition run of 50 has updated the “CJ,” bringing it more inline with the current Mustang in look and performance. The newest addition to the FR series of competition ready race cars, the Cobra Jet will make its debut next February at Pomona for the winter nationals.
With the Rolex 24 at Daytona only 66 days away, the off-season is short. Ford Racing is already primed for 2009. The “Blue Oval” will be a championship caliber force again, facing the challenge of multiple disciplines in a variety of series.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 224,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.