Ford Performance NSCS Notes and Quotes
Ford EcoBoost 400– Homestead-Miami Speedway
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Dave Pericak, global director, Ford Performance, participated in the annual OEM press conference as part of Ford Championship weekend Saturday afternoon. Joining his counterparts from Chevrolet and Toyota, Pericak spoke about several topics.
DAVE PERICAK, global director, Ford Performance – SUNDAY AT PHOENIX WAS A MEMORABLE RACE FINISH. TELL US HOW YOU FELT. “First, thanks for having me here today. It was obviously some of the best racing we have seen here in a long time. He was extremely focused and it was a nail-biter right to the end. He crossed the finish line and when he got out of the car he let out a scream that can’t be matched by anybody. It is exciting to be here at Ford Championship Weekend and have a Ford driver in it. I think it is great that all three manufacturers are being represented quite honestly. Of course I think our guy is going to go across the finish line. It is really exciting.”
IS THIS SPORT STILL AS GOOD A MARKETING TOOL FOR YOUR STREET CARS AS IT ALWAYS WAS? “It is no secret there is a heck of an investment we all make in this sport and we wouldn’t do it if we weren’t getting a return on our investment. It is the enthusiasts that are here and we are talking to them and getting them what they want. At the end of the day, those are the people that go out and be the ambassadors for our companies. When someone wants to know what they should buy that is who they talk to, the enthusiasts. We are talking to the people that are going to help us carry our message forward.”
WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN THE ROAD DO YOU SEE YOUR GROUP MAINTAINING WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, INCREASING INVOLVEMENT OR DECREASING INVOLVEMENT IN NASCAR? “We are committed to doing racing right, not just NASCAR but across the board globally. That is where Ford Performance came from, reorganizing our company to approach it and do it right. We use the race track as a test bed for technology, tools and people development. Specifically, with NASCAR I think we showed earlier in the year with adding another team to the Ford family that we are committed to NASCAR and are definitely going to grow our presence here.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE COMPETITION BETWEEN YOU THREE? “For us the competition and what it represents for our company, for us to go to the race track and show what we’ve got and prove the latest technology uplifts the entire company. As you walk through the halls of Ford Motor Company people are saying thank you. It is huge for our company. Our company was founded on racing. It is part of our DNA. For us to go racing, it is great to beat these two guys on a weekend but I think it is also great to work with them when we are off the track on some of the great initiatives in pushing this sport forward. For us it is part of who we are.”
ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS CREEPING INTO RACING, HOW DOES YOUR BRAND FEEL ABOUT THAT TECHNOLOGY AND DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE IT SOMEDAY IN NASCAR? “I think we are all in some way looking at it and seeing how it does apply. I think as far as Formula E, we have to watch it and see where it is going to go and how applicable it will be to building better cars and trucks for the showroom. At the end of the day I think anytime you leverage racing for what it is supposed to be leveraged for you learn and you develop and you go forward. I think putting it into racing is probably the right thing to do as we start to figure out electrification and how it will ultimately effect passenger vehicles. Will it ever make it to NASCAR? I don’t know. But I think it is good that it is being introduced into the racing format because it will push all of us as OEM’s and the entire automotive industry to figure out some things that are question marks about electrification.”
DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BENEFIT FROM A FOURTH MANUFACTURER IN NASCAR? “I think it would be great for the sport. I am definitely not afraid of competition so I say bring it on.”
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC AND TARGETING THAT IN NASCAR? “It is important for us to get our brand messages out through social media and there is power in numbers. As we work with NASCAR and work with each other we can touch more people. Look at the After the Lap sweepstakes. It used to be just a Ford only event. Now all three of us are participating in that and we have done a much better job this year of touching more people as a result of working together. I think as we talk about social media it will really take all of us working together to really maximize the potential of all of that.”
WHO DO YOU THINK TAKES THE XFINITY SERIES DRIVERS TITLE? “You really want me to answer that? I think it will be a tie. I don’t know. I am not going to do that. It will be great, whichever one does it.”
WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE RACE ON SUNDAY? “Joey Logano, the 22.”
