I’ll outright say it: Ford is the absolute king of customer outreach, programs, and events.
They seemed to have gone all-in on this approach: by building brand recognition and offering constant loyalty programs, they remain one of the few companies that seem to continue seeing success as well as public goodwill. A major endeavor Ford has pursued has been its ties with NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, a major company that sanctions numerous races yearly as one of America’s largest spectator sports.
Through this affiliation, Ford has driven its way to a winning finish over 700 times since 1949, the most recent being last year, when Ryan Blaney nabbed a cup championship win.
Ford Performance Racing School
When Ford reached out to me to offer an opportunity to cover its involvement with NASCAR and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into preparing for a race, I was tripping to secure a spot.
I was flown into Charlotte, North Carolina, arguably one of the most relevant states for stock car racing. I had heard about the famous North Wilkesboro Speedway recently reopening after almost two decades of abandon, and was pleased to see that I would be attending the opening of the 2024 All-Star Race that very weekend.
First, however, I attended a trial class at a Ford Performance Racing program at Charlotte Motor Speedway, an invigorating and heart-pounding exercise that pushed me to my limits (and it was just the most basic level of the class).
A course was set up on the track using cones and dividers, and through several dizzying sharp turns, slaloms, and white-knuckle straights, our group competed for the best times for completion in the powerful Mustang Dark Horse.
Mustangs, ready to rumble
We had five tries, and the final lap would be the one that was compared. At first, I went slow and got a feel of the track, losing traction several times and learning when to brake, but as I repeated the course, my times became lower and lower. Although I did not ending up winning with the best lap time, I came out of the class having learned how to handle the Dark Horse’s naturally-aspirated V8 engine and become a better driver.
After an amazing dinner with the group at a steakhouse, we went to bed in anticipation for the long next day. We would be first attending the famous NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte, a facility with the purpose of documenting and honoring NASCAR’s history, and giving the public information about the drivers, vehicles, and tracks both past and present. There, I got a chance to view several of the most famous vehicles from previous races, having been donated by the drivers themselves.
A winning car
These were kept in immaculate condition by the facility, but still possessed a snapshot of the vehicles final moments on the racetrack: they were preserved exactly as they had been when they won, with the confetti and champagne still coating the cars’ hoods.
In other parts of the facility, we checked out a room commemorating past winners, with a myriad of pictures, quotes, audio recordings, and videos of the champions’ peak moments.
There was an area that delved into the mechanical engineering that needs to go into each vehicle for it to go faster, further, and with more efficiency. We saw demos of the efforts made to increase the aerodynamic capabilities of each vehicle, including adding a spoiler, a splitter, and a diffuser, all increasing downforce and improving traction.
We saw a comparison of the track sizes of all major raceways, including their materials and angle of slope, and a display showing characteristic trophies that each state customized for their champion while adding a bit of unique state pride (the New Hampshire trophy came with a live lobster!).
Finally, we ended our trip with a chance to take a racing simulator for a spin.
New Hampshire trophy
While the rules were explained and protocols were agreed to, as one can imagine, putting 24 inexperienced individuals into the same race only led to mayhem.
Finally, after an amazing lunch at Dos Caminos, it was time to finally head to the All-Star race. We drove to the North Wilkesboro Speedway, and caught a glimpse of the sheer effort that goes into organizing such an event. We saw the logistics team, hard at work with the level of sheer data that needs be calculated and tracked per race, and the hundreds of people working outdoors, setting up trailers for the racers and maintaining the track and the stands.
I got a chance to talk to driver Ryan Preece, who would be representing Ford in the race, and was able to ask him more personal questions about the daily life of a driver, such as what exactly goes into preparing for a race, what a workout for a driver entails exactly, and what his daily routine and diet looks like.
We also talked about his infamous crash from last year, where his vehicle was pushed and tipped off the track, where it momentarily became airborne before flipping numerous times in a wreck.
Vehicle maintenance
Preece walked away with only minor injuries and returned to race the next opportunity he could, which was extremely motivational to hear.
We walked to our private viewing box, and the qualifying race began. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay for the actual All-Star race, but with the qualifying race, I was able to get a glimpse of what a real race would entail. The first thing I took in was just how loud the vehicles were. I had ear muffs on, and the sound still proved too loud, so I had to stuff earplugs into my ear canals as well.
The race itself was incredibly enjoyable to watch. With over 99 laps, it was amazing to see a certain driver take the lead, what others would do to catch up, and the back-and-forth as two drivers fought for a position. I also tracked down Ryan Preece driving for Ford in the race, and set my radio to his channel to hear his live reactions to things occurring around him. It was an invigorating sport, and I was engaged the whole time.
I very much enjoyed my time in North Carolina, and not really having a racing background or interest, it was refreshing to get to experience all of these things for the first time, through the eyes and stories of someone who had made it their lifetime passion. Ford pulled out all the stops to make my experience as enjoyable as possible, and I hope that I am able to experience a full race soon.
