For decades, Ford Motor Company's performance division has been spelled Ford Performance, but last night CEO Will Ford (whose great-grandfather founded the company) announced that the division has now changed its name to Ford Racing. In a blog post on the official Ford website, Will writes about how Ford as a brand was born on a racetrack and how their investments in racing across multiple disciplines and motorsports have defined what Ford is today.
"Today, Ford Performance becomes Ford Racing.
"This is not a marketing exercise. This is a promise. It signals a new, more focused mission to tear down the wall between our race teams and the engineering of the vehicles you drive every day on and off road. Under one global Ford Racing banner, our engineers and designers will develop our performance road cars right alongside our race cars. The technology that survives the Baja 1000 will be in the DNA of the next F-150 Raptor. The aerodynamic lessons we learn at Daytona and Le Mans will be sculpted into the body of the next Mustang. This is a direct line from the track to your driveway, and it starts now. The first production vehicle born from this new Ford Racing mindset will debut this January.
"This is about more than just the machines. It's about the experience. Our racing schools and the Bronco Off-Roadeo are not side projects; they are a core part of our mission. They are where we prove that the capabilities we engineer on the track and on the trail are real, and where we share that excitement directly with you. Starting today, you will see our new identity roll out. The full force of Ford Racing will be unleashed in January when we kick off the new season at the Dakar Rally, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and our own Season Launch event."