It will take more than record losses and massive staff cutbacks to push Ford out of NASCAR. After a company record $12.7 billion loss in 2006 and a planned staff reduction of 40,000 this year, racing boss Dan Davis admitted he was nervous about getting the estimated $20 million racing budget for nine full-time Cup cars approved.

“But there was no problem,” he said. “This is something that the people at the top levels of the company believe is a positive force for Ford. You don’t stop your marketing in hard times, you work harder to market the product.” Ford’s investment in NASCAR, including its marketing budget, is estimated to be just under $100 million. The company is focusing more and more on stock cars, pulling its marketing support from the struggling Champ Car World Series this season.

Things won’t get any easier this year for Ford in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup, with Japanese rival Toyota joining DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge brand and General Motors’ Chevrolets as Cup rivals.

“I feel like all we really need is 10 good cars, and we have nine now,” said Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. “They’re not all as strong as we’d like them to be, but we feel like we’re close. We would like to win 25% of the races on a consistent basis, and I feel like we’re within striking distance.”

AP

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