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[see also: 10 Questions with Brian Wolfe]
DEARBORN, Mich., July 16, 2008 – Dreams can come true. Brian Wolfe, the new Director of Ford Racing Technology, is living proof.
Growing up in Michigan, Wolfe was regaled with stories from his father about his hero – Henry Ford – and Ford Motor Company. He also was bitten early by the need for speed.
“I was racing just hours after getting my driver’s license on my sixteenth birthday,” said Wolfe. “My brother raced, and I wanted to be like my brother. In fact, I went looking to buy the same car he had but instead found a 1968 428 Cobra Jet Fairlane – a car I still own today.”
There never was much doubt about where Wolfe wanted to work, and upon graduation in 1982 from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with bachelor and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering, he went to work for Ford as part of the Ford College Graduate program in heavy truck engines. As Wolfe’s Ford career began to evolve moving upward with a position in engine engineering, his passion for motorsports also grew.
He bought a 1986 Mustang GT, the first year of the fuel-injected cars, and a friend at Ford Racing passed along some specialty parts asking him to try out the “GT-40 package.” The results were mesmerizing. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool,” said Wolfe, after having run faster on his inaugural run in the Mustang than he ever had in his 428 Cobra Jet. “I was hooked and for a while, I had one of the fastest Mustang Pro 5.0 cars around.”
As his sportsman drag racing career was flourishing, so was his career at Ford. Wolfe moved from engineer to supervisor and eventually was tapped as Manager of Advanced Engine Systems. He moved through several promotions and in 2002 landed the position of Director of Powertrain Calibration and Controls, Product Development.
When Dan Davis, Director of Ford Racing Technology since 1997, announced his retirement effective Aug. 1, Wolfe found that he had been appointed the next director of Ford Racing Technology. For the kid who grew up dreaming of drag racing and of working for the Ford Motor Company, it was the culmination of a dream.
“The reality sank in pretty quick,” said Wolfe. “As soon as you get announced for a position like this, it begins to consume everything that is on your mind. My first thoughts were ‘How fast can I get there and get started?’ The biggest challenge is starting to understand everything associated with the job.”
Wolfe knows that the legacy of Ford Racing he inherits from Davis is one that dates to the origins of the company and to its founder, Henry Ford.
“It is a long legacy to carry with so many successes in so many areas,” said Wolfe. “Wherever Ford has gone and wanted to compete, Ford has dominated. That legacy of success is in our DNA and in our blood. My goal is anywhere we continue to go in the future, we want that same dominance. I am looking forward to going back to some of the areas we have been and proving the dominance with our great Ford products.”
Wolfe also knows that the success of his motorsports program can’t be judged solely on the on-track performance.
“Success from a motorsports perspective is not only about winning championships, which is, of course, a prerequisite, but it is also making sure that there are returns to the company from a marketing perspective, in selling new cars and in enhancing the company’s image,” said Wolfe. “My predecessor was able to accomplish a lot of those things. The safety work that has been done in the NHRA Funny Car is nothing short of astounding. How proud are we to claim that Ford has the most Five Star crash rated cars on the road today, but also that we are the ones pioneering making funny cars and drag racing safer?”
For Wolfe, the last few weeks have been a busy blur of tying up loose ends at one job in Ford while his mind dwells on another opportunity.
“The realization of the dream will be a lot clearer in a few months,” said Wolfe. “Right now, this job is still a dream because I am thinking about the things I want to do and how we want to enhance the program. As those things come to reality, that will be living the dream.”
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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 228,000 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.