The hope was that on the 50th anniversary of desert racing legend Rod Hall's 1969 overall win at the Baja 1000 in a first-generation Bronco, Ford's new model could at least place well.
After all, they had a Bronco that could win, 50 damn years ago, before computers, before cnc machines, etc etc that make creating a machine WITH 50 YEARS of EXPERIENCE of Baja racers to have worked out what it takes to make a winning machine, IN ADDITION TO having already made a winning Bronco....
and they couldn't even finish the race.
Shame. Shame. Shame. Either they can't pull their head out of the collective butt, or they didn't get a project manager on the job of winning the race that hasn't changed all that much in 50 years, even with the added benefit of 50 years of hindsight, 50 years of champions to hire as advisors, etc etc.
I think this takes failing to a whole new level, and ironically, at the same time as the Ford Vs Ferrari movie hitting theaters and displaying what little it DID take to win one race with the right people, dedicated to winning, not being distracted by stuff like social media maketing, etc etc
Maybe next time, Ford will get the right people, with the complete dedication to learning from the past, engaging all the champions to learn from their wisdom and experience, and having enough spare parts, redundant onboard systems, enough extra mechanics for pit stops, and all the rest of the support staff it will need to handle ANYTHING up to replacing ANYTHING that can possibly break down or fail, with truck loads of enthusiastic help, ready to install spare parts, and welders, fabricators, etc.
Given the results of a overall win and what that would do for the next decade of selling Broncos for racing and commuting, it seems like a no brainer to me to have the entire corporation focused on making a win happen.
https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/31201/prototype-ford-bronco-r-race-truck-fails-to-finish-2019-baja-1000
From Wikipedia:
ReplyDeleteThe Ford GT40 was first raced in May 1964 at the Nürburgring 1000 km race where it retired with suspension failure after holding second place early in the event. Three weeks later at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, all three entries retired.
yes, and if you're going to look past what wikipedia has to tell you about 1964, in 1965, Everything Ferrari could do, including breaking FIA rules, wasn't enough to prevent all 3 GT 40s from defeating his race cars.... plus, it's no secret that the jackass Ford put in charge of making decisions was not committed to winning, nor getting the best people on board the effort to beating Ferrari.
DeleteSo, yeah, 64 sucked, and with 3 months to prep, plus the people problems, it's just making my point clearer. To win, you plan. Ford had exactly how many years of knowing the 2019 Bronco was going to be in produciton? And how many years were they aware that they were going to try and win the 2019 Baja 1000, to end cap the 50th anniversary of the 1969 win?
Maybe, just maybe, you might take more time to comment on what I'm saying when I have a head of steam, and history, on my side.
Or not, that's your call.
As important as money is to being competitive, every now and then racing proves money isn't everything.
ReplyDeleteok, every now and then...
Deletebut tell me
when was the last time money wasn't the only factor in NHRA top fuel, funny car, and pro mod? Top sportsman? Top alcohol? Top Harley?
So - sure, once upon a time, in some racing, money didn't mean everything
But in F1?
NHRA?
Tour De France?
I can go on, but, you know as well as I do, racing without money?
If you're running the Boston Marathon, and aren't from Kenya or Ethiopia - then sure, money doesn't matter - but that's because there IS NO equipment involved.
You and I both know that the winners of NASCAR championships for decades have been a result of money, and buying the best drivers for the cars.
I don't remember the exact stats, but in Nascar, if you're not working for Haas, Hendrick, Gibbs, Childress, Roush, Penske or Petty, you're not winning. Why? They have the money to win.
Tell me, when was the last time, and in what kind of racing, that money wasn't everything?
It is in land speed racing, has been since the 70s.
Just remember, you brought it up, so I expect you to carry your end of the discussion. I know I sure as hell do my part to carry through on everything I bring up, for 41,000 posts.
I'm not saying you can't have racing without money, it is the mother's milk of all professional sports. I'm saying that if you haven't put together a cohesive team, if corporate micro-manages rather than letting the talent they've hired do their jobs, if they fool themselves into thinking there's no way they can loose with all they have going for them then yeah, a team can piss away money and it gets no where. Formula 1 is full of examples of money being burned for no results. I'm most familiar with Formula 1. The F-1 Toyota team spent tens of millions, had the 'other' Schumacher as a driver, and even resorted to stealing intellectual property from Ferrari and still couldn't manage to be more than 'the best of the rest.' Same thing with the old Honda F-1 team, until corporate threw in the towel and the team Principal, Ross Brawn bought them out, installed a Mercedes engine and went on to take an also-ran team to the championship. The Mclaren F-1 team has been dying a slow death for about 5 years, it started with the brilliant switch from Mercedes power to Honda yet despite two champion drivers and money to burn they had nothing but problems and still are plagued with problems. Remember the Cadillac Northstar that was run in LeMans prototypes? While the factory Corvettes were cleaning up in their class, the Cadillac team languished. What you say about NASCAR is absolutely true, but its no substitute for talent, as we saw every other weekend with Danica Patrick, she was kept on because she brought in sponsorship money, or poor old Junior's almost but not quite finishes for the past decade. Then again, 41 year old late model driver Mike Looney and Billy Martin racing are vying for a Nascar National Championship. Looney's full-time job is working on cranes, not racecars-he's retired, and has gone back to work for half a week just so we can buy tires. There are no big sponsors bankrolling weekend trips to race tracks across the east coast. No one on the race team boasts a pedigree. Yet Looney has won nine races this year and is 18 points off the two frontrunners.
Deletelate model Whelen series grassroots doesn't count. Neither does Miata Spec. Neither does x, y, or z grassroots vintage racing. Those are obviously not. Since you dodged, I'll repeat my self once.
Deletetell me
when was the last time money wasn't the only factor in NHRA top fuel, funny car, and pro mod? Top sportsman? Top alcohol? Top Harley?
So - sure, once upon a time, in some racing, money didn't mean everything
But in F1?
NHRA?
Tour De France?
If the best you can do is a race series no one ever heard of that isn't racing in it, the least you can do is admit that "every now and then racing proves money isn't everything" was a mistake to say when talking about racing.
Either put up, with a real example of real racing, not roller skate rink local baloney, or man up and admit you got nothing to back up your claim, and should have not made any such comment on THIS post.
Wrong place, wrong time
Now, I like you, you're a good guy, but you do know you're talking about cars with a car guy, in a place that shows respect, talks respect, and has respect as a foundation for existing.
That sums up as to get it, ya gotta give it, and you can earn it, but you can't ignore it. You can face up to having spoken up out of turn, with nothing to back up what you brought, like a man, or you can show a recent example of no buck racing that worked in the face of the current blank check corporate sponsors like you claimed, or you can fade out. 2 of 3 get respect, car guy to car guy, the 3rd don't, and that means time to punk out or pay out. 'Cause even as upset ass I might be that you put it out on the chopping block, I can't seem to remember what was being discussed if I'm suddenly able to afford a pizza, burrito, or deli sandwich, with a beer, if you get my drift (lol) and beer seems to wipe all slates clean (hint hint)
But if you give me an example of "every now and then racing proves money isn't everything" I'm just as pleased, as I've been spending years proving just that. And no looking up what I've posted to use as your evidence. You already dropped to grassroots never heard of it Whelen racing series bullshit
look up at the banner, 'ol Col Sanders is waiting to be impressed, or go get some food and a beer.
DeleteActually I think you and I are on the same page as far as Ford's fail in the Baja. That is, that they put more money and hype into it than experience and talent related to this particular race. I'm not sure why you're asking for examples from Formula 1 when I gave several, especially Mclaren, which has more money than all of the other teams save Ferrari, and has had several catastrophic seasons. GM's entry in to LeMan's prototypes with the Northstar was marked with numerous DNF's and one or two podiums, and it certainly didn't lack for money, and the fact that they were doing very well in GT shows that the right people, and good leadership (points you were making about Ford) are also crucial to the success of a team. Okay you want to call Whelen racing BS, fair enough. did I step in it? I don't know, I thought my initial post was agreeing with your comments. As for 'fading out' etc. I work two jobs so I don't always have a chance to respond immediately.
DeleteDang it, I forgot to wind back around and talk about McLaren, Bruce McLaren is the perfect example of coming in without the big corporate budget, and creating one of the most successful teams in F1 championship history, winning a total of 8 World Constructors' Championships and 12 World Drivers' Championships.
Deletewith working two jobs, how do you even have ANY time to comment here? Good lord man, you get a pass for working two jobs!
DeleteNo worries, you make time for the things you enjoy, and I always like coming to your blog. I know that you also put a lot of time and effort into it, and it shows with the high quality photos, and the work you put into backing up your posts with links and facts.
Delete"Shame. Shame. Shame. Either they can't pull their head out of the collective butt, or they didn't get a project manager on the job of winning the race that hasn't changed all that much in 50 years, even with the added benefit of 50 years of hindsight, 50 years of champions to hire as advisors, etc etc."
ReplyDeleteMaybe so. There must be an example of a new race car that kicked ass first race. Tell us about it.
either you actually are unfamiliar with every significant car in history, which I have spent 13 years posting about, or you've got a problem hearing the truth.
DeleteAs for an example, look up the Ferraris, the Maserattis, the Alfas, the Jaguars, the first Cadillac, the first Rolls Royce, etc.
I ain't got the time to look up a link to all of them, but I have one link that will have most of them; https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/
and most every land speed record setting car you've ever heard of kicked ass first race, from the Arfons brothers, to Breedlove's garage built streamliner, so, https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/LSR for all those
Deletealso, the Cobra, the Daytona, the Superbird, the etc etc etc etc etc
DeleteGrow up. Do your own homework.
and didn't the Manx win the Baja?
DeleteFerrari F2004, with Michael Schumacher driving, pole, fastest lap, and the win in its first race, the Australian Grand Prix. They went on to win four more races in a row, Schumacher won 13 races, Rubens Barrichello won 2, for a total of 15 wins out of the 18 total. They also had 13 pole positions and 5 record laps.
DeleteIn 1976 David Pearson in the Wood brothers #21 Mercury won at the first race of the season (Riverside) and went on to 10 wins out of 30 races.
DeleteAnd then there's the Benetton B195 i designed by Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn for use by the Benetton team in the 1995 Formula One World Championship. Schumacher again won the first race, and Benneton went on to win 11 out of the 17 races that year.
DeleteOh, and I completely forgot about F-1 in 2015, Lewis Hamilton won the 1st race of the season, (the Australian GP) and three more races after that, with a total of 11 out of the 19 total races with the Mercedes W06 Hybrid.
ReplyDelete