While Ford Motor Company celebrates its founding on June 16, 1903, that would not have been possible without Ford Performance, which got its start on October 10, 1901. On that date at the Detroit Driving Club in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Henry Ford took on the world-renowned racer from Cleveland, Ohio, Alexander Winton. The belief by all was so strong that Winton would win the race, the organizers of the race allowed Winton’s business manager to choose the trophy that he believed his boss would like the most.
What everyone didn’t realize that day was that Henry Ford had a formula that he believed would prevail not only on the racetrack but would transform the fledging automotive industry going forward—lightweight, durable, and simple automobiles would prevail! Not only did that take place that day on the track as Winton’s car took off to an early lead, but began to sputter as the race went on and Henry Ford’s Sweepstakes overtook and won that race, but his formula would also prevail over the automotive industry with his venerable Model T.
Significant Events:
• 1901: Henry Ford wins 10-lap race at the Detroit Driving Club against the venerable Alexander Winton
•1903: Barney Oldfield drives Ford 999 on one-mile dirt track at the Indiana Fairgrounds at 60 mph, the fastest closed course laps ever recorded to that point
• 1909: Ford Model T won the New York to Seattle transcontinental race and the Guggenheim Trophy
• 1932: Ford Flathead V8 introduced and became the gold standard for hot rod builders
• 1949: Jim Roper drives a Lincoln to the first NASCAR Grand National race at Charlotte, NC
• 1952: Lincoln wins first of three consecutive Carrera Panamericana Road races
• 1957: AMA bans factory-sponsored racing involvement
• 1962: Ford begins “Total Performance” campaign
• 1963: Tiny Lund wins Ford’s first Daytona 500 victory
• 1964: Mustang wins first international competition at the Tour de France Rallye
• 1965: Ford’s first Indy 500 victory comes in the Lotus-Ford driven by Jim Clark; Mario Andretti wins USAC championship; and Ned Jarrett wins NASCAR Grand National championship
• 1966: Ford MKII finish 1-2-3 at the 24-hours of LeMans; went on to win the next three races as well; Mustang wins SCCA Manufacturers Title in Over-Two-Liter Class in its inaugural season
• 1967: Ford Cosworth DFV engine wins debut race at Dutch Grand Prix
• 1970: SCCA 1970 Trans Am Championship by Bud Moore prepared Boss 302 Mustang driven by Parnelli Jones
• 1972: Ford’s first Funny Car championship came from Larry Fullerton in his Trojan Horse Mustang
• 1974: Shirl Greer won the Funny Car in championship in his Mustang after a dramatic fire in the finals of the Ottawa Motor Speedway
• 1985: IMSA GTO Roush Racing won the class 13 of 16 races and John Jones won the driver championship with eight of those wins
• 1985: Kenny Bernstein drove his aerodynamic Ford Tempo to the first of four straight Funny Car championships in Budweiser King branding
• 1986: IMSA GTO class Roush racing won eight of 17 races and Scott Pruett won the driver championship with seven of those wins
• 1988: Bill Elliott wins NASCAR Winston Cup Championship in a Thunderbird
• 1988-90: IMSA GTO class was won by Roush, Mercury entries as XR4Ti and then Cougar
• 1990-91: John Force and crew chief Austin Coil won the 1990 and 1991 Funny Car championships in their Castrol Mustang to begin a dominating two plus decade run of winning
• 1995: Johnny Benson Jr. won the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National championship in his #26 Ford Thunderbird
• 1995-1997: Roush Mustang Cobra won the Trans Am championships
• 1999: Dale Jarrett in the #88 Ford wins the NASCAR Cup championship
• 2000: Greg Biffle wins Ford’s first NASCAR Truck Series championship in a Jack Roush Ford
• 2003: Matt Kenseth in the #17 Ford wins the NASCAR Cup championship
• 2003: Tony Pedregon won the Funny Car championship in his Castrol Ford Mustang
• 2004: Kurt Busch wins Ford’s second consecutive NASCAR Cup championship in his #97 Ford
• 2009: Robert Hight won the Funny Car championship in his AAA Auto Club Mustang
• 2018: Joey Logano in the #22 Ford wins the NASCAR Cup championship
