Formula Ford, itself.

[Rob Poma]

Humm...
Ford has ZERO involvement in Formula Ford.
Let's change the name.
Or at least threaten,
We'll sell the naming rights.
Formula Continental is a Formula Ford,
of sorts.
Let's rename ours.
Let's call it Formula Elemental, Formula Kent,
or Formula Utopia -so we can use the letters FU.

Sell the name: Formula Qualcom.
Hoosier Presents Formula Cool Ranch Doritos, Powered by Cortina Club of UK.
Formula Oxygen Network.
Spice Channel Presents Formula Hot, Hot, Hot! Powered by Big Tobacco.

The respective company would pay for any and all entry fee's as long as we have the company name or dogma on the side of the ride. If it cost a company $200,000 a year in our entry fee's, (yawn), it would be nothing. Ad. expense, publicity, write-off.

I say we look into it. If Ford doesn't want to put up, let's find someone who will.

[zcar72]

Hmmm I drive a Ford street car and they don't pay me anything either, perhaps I should consider chiseling off the logos.

[Rob Poma]

We get SCCA and other sanctioning bodies to change Formula Ford, FF, to simply Formula, F.

When other racers and new racers see that Frito-Lay pays for our entry fee's for the year, our numbers will soar, cars will be in demand, value of the cars and the series will rise.

If you want to let Ford shill us, fine. Chistelling your logo off yer Ford isn't option.

[schomosport]

We could call it "Formula Four", that is what people think I'm saying anyway. And it kind of makes sense, Formula 1, 2, 3, and 4 -- we're only three rungs from Formula 1!

About street car badging: I routinely take the badges off of my street cars for exactly this reason. The manufacturer isn't paying me for adverstising and certainly the dealer isn't (those come off for sure). A heat gun, WD-40, and dental floss will take off just about any badge these days.

Craig Jones
Indy

[El Guapo]

Brings to mind the marketing genius at Oakley (sunglasses). They sold their image as being so cool that kids PAY for those huge window banners to advertise their insanely overpriced glasses!

[RussMcB]

F-1600 ?

[Rob Poma]

Yes!
F-1600, brought to SCCA this year by Oakley Sunglasses.... (no entry fee's!)

Formula Four! I get the same thing all the time. Either that, or,"Is that a go-cart?" (Smack!)

Get this: I had a professor in college who got $75 knocked off the purchase price at a car dealer for advertising vis-a-vis the dealer sticker on the trunk lid.

I love America!

[RobLav]

the f1600/go kart comment isn't near as insulting (to me) as the one I got all the time with the IT car.

Almost every time I pull into a gas station some kid would ask "How fast does it do the quarter?"

Heck, I'd paint my car all girly-like and call it formula barbie or formula kotex if they paid me enough to do so.

[JONKATHY]

When I picked up the Crossle someone at work called it a "racing buggy". What the hell is a racing buggy?

It gets called 'go-cart' all the time. I've only had the car for a few months and I don't even bother with explanations anymore!

[robbie ferstl]

Quoting from Section 17.1.7 of the GCR
Category Class
1)Racing Buggy 1hp (ASS)
2)2.0 Racing Buggy 2hp and over (HS)


I understand that Enterprise is providing the buggy and somebody else is providing the engine.

Hope that helps

[size="1"][ 03-11-2003, 08:20 PM: Message edited by: Ed Soenke ][/size]

[Garth Dexter]

Not to stir it up too much, but in markets where Formula Ford draws specatators and media exposure (i.e. Europe) Ford Motor Company is a significant sponsor. Of course, Europe also uses a current production engine.

I may be biased, but Ford is also the only major automaker that has consisitently and continuously been involved in the premier road racing series both in the U.S. and globally. I think it would be hard to come up with a manufacturer that has historically done more for auto racing than Ford.

Of course, this is a case of what have you done for me lately. :D

[Rob Poma]

Ford sponsors Formula Ford in Europe, and Australia. Yes, in Europe they use the Zetec. In Canada, just a few hours away, Ford sponsors Formula Ford. The Canadians still use the same crappy Kent we use.

WHY THE HELL DOESN'T FORD SPONSOR US IN THE U.S? Ford is an American company, and Americans are the only ones who DON'T GET JACK! Maybe I'm biased, but, an American company should take care of its American racers HELL AND GONE BEFORE it takes care of anyone else. Thus, Ford doesn't deserve to have its name associated with our series.

Ford has contributed to motosports by default. Had Ford not been there, with little effort, we would have different engines.

What I'm saying is let's dump the Ford name. Call it F-1600, and annually sell the naming rights to anyone who will care, save for Ford, because they sure as hell don't contribute in their own back yard.

FF2000 is now FC, it takes a simple wrist movement to make FF turn into F-1600, officially.

So... if anyone, not mentioning names, works at Ford, please inquire as to the reasons why Ford ignores its own people to pander to Europeans, Australians, and Canadians? Does Bill Clinton lead Ford now? Why is this happening?

[size="1"][ 03-12-2003, 11:16 PM: Message edited by: A J Graff ][/size]

[Tab]

I guess the Canadian PRO FFord racers are really lucky that way.

Ignore the fact that there is a company, BMG, that work full time on
- finding series sponsors,
- locking in TV rights,
- communicating with the drivers,
- dealing with individual event organizers,
- dealing with event marketing groups,
- keeping the title series sponsors happy,
- locking in big events like Trans AM, Indy, and F1 as suppporting races
- working on future events / sponsors
- etc.

Gee - Too bad they have to do all that work so FORD will come knockin' on the door every year to "pander" to their needs. I always thought that they had to actually make the effort to call FORD....

On the amateur Canadian F1600 scene (Regional/Vintage), we aren't seeing any of the FORD love either.

Damn - I am a part time racer - full time family man who likes to race when my money and time allow. I don't have any sponsors but I keep my car nice and clean. No one comes to watch my races (except family and friends) but I think they are really neat. I don't have any film footage but once a friend of mine took a video of me which I like to watch once in a while when the garage is -15 and the snow is flying.

Hmm - I can't quite put my finger on the difference between these two situations. Why is FORD pandering (I assume that is true as I read it on the Internet) to them and not to me?

Did I mention that I paint my chassis' FORD GREY?
WHERE'S MY CHEQUE?
WHERE'S MY CHEQUE?
:confused:

Yours - ;)
Jonathan H

[Scotty Segers]

I think the real reason Ford doesn't back FF1600 is that they will only support something that benefits their bottom line, and:
(1) in the US, "if it doesn't involve a ball, it's not really a sport."
(2) the only racing the masses watch is NASCAR.

[Darrell Benner]

A.J. Graf said [quote] What I'm saying is let's dump the Ford name. Call it F-1600, and annually sell the naming rights to anyone who will care [/quote].

I think this is a great idea. But it isn't going to happen unless someone takes charge of the task. Probably should ask someone in SCCA marketing (e.g., Garrett Mudd - [email]GMudd@scca.com[/email]) about this. Whatdya think guys?

Jim

[Rob Poma]

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

Holmes, I think you have your cliche.

Ox, where is thine yolk?

[Gary B.]

Hi,

In South Africa at the moment all circuit racing has been abandoned by the Manufacturers - all of them, Ford, Toyota, BMW, GM, in favour of off road racing. Why?

Maybe because it is 1 series with a determined marketer that has created the environment that gives the illusion to the manufacturers that they are getting the exposure their investment deserves?

Regards
Riaan