"Our business model has worked," contends Ford

Ford racing enthusiasts commonly refer to the brand as "first on race day."

For the three full-time Ford teams in the Nextel Cup Series, it was a misnomer this season. Ford drivers won only six of 36 races -- all by Roush Racing, with Matt Kenseth taking four of those -- and the Blue Oval finished third in the manufacturers' standings.

However, the season ended on a high note at the appropriately named Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway as Roush Racing Fords swept the Cup, Busch and Truck series' finales.

On the other hand, Chevrolet won the Cup and Busch championships, while Toyota claimed the Truck Series title.

	ALSO •   Series overview •   Ford not panicked •   Rival owners cautious •   Blue Oval racing history •   Ford: We're not a sponsor •   Today's Car of Tomorrow •   Ford: By the Numbers •   Ford Racing timeline •   Message Board

But sweep away the confetti and there is a stark reality: Each of the Big Three -- GM, DaimlerChrysler AG (Dodge) and Ford -- reported third-quarter losses.

• GM lost $115 million but the loss was significantly smaller than the $1.7 billion the automaker lost in the same year-ago quarter.

• Chrysler lost $1.5 billion in the quarter, pretty much ensuring a loss for the full year.

• Ford lost $5.8 billion -- its biggest loss in 14 years -- and is predicting an even bigger loss in the fourth quarter.

NPR.org reported that after twice postponing a meeting with the Detroit automakers, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney met with the heads of GM, Ford and the Chrysler Division of DaimlerChrysler on Nov. 14.

On the agenda for General Motors' Rick Wagoner, Ford's Alan Mulally and Chrysler Group's Tom LaSorda was a discussion about the threat posed by Japanese auto giant Toyota. Toyota is said to be reaching for a 15 percent global market share by 2010 as part of a global master plan.

Also discussed:

Health Care -- All three automakers spend more on health care per vehicle than on steel, which adds about $1,000 to the cost of a car built by the Big Three. GM, the nation's largest private provider of health care, spent $5.3 billion on health care last year for 1.1 million employees, retirees and their dependents.

Trade -- The automakers have also sought support on trade, arguing that Japan has artificially weakened the yen, allowing Japanese automakers to price their vehicles more aggressively in the United States and offer more options.

Energy Issues -- The industry shares many of the same views as Bush on alternative energy. The Big Three are doubling their production of flexible-fuel vehicles, capable of running on blends of up to 85 percent ethanol, by 2010.

What does this have to do with NASCAR? Trickle-down economics -- and not of the Dick Trickle variety. If the Big Three aren't turning profits, cuts will follow and ultimately racing budgets will be affected.

"We're going to be fine," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "Racing has been a big part of Ford's overall marketing program for a long time and we expect to be here for a long time in the future.

"Our teams have a good foundation and we have some very good, young drivers moving up through our system," he added. "It's just going to take some time."

That pipeline of young drivers is being tapped into as Ford lost 1999 Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett, Elliott Sadler and mainstay Mark Martin this season.

"I know people are going to ask about Ford losing another marquee driver to a competitor," Davis said after Martin agreed to a part-time ride with Ginn Racing -- which fields Chevrolets. "All I can say is that every situation is different."

What is your take on the State of Ford Racing? Still going strong It's weakening Too much Roush focus Toyota will take its toll

One year after Roush Racing placed all five of its drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, only two made the 10-race playoffs in 2006: Kenseth and Martin. Ford teams also saw a dramatic drop in wins -- from 16 to six.

"We feel we support our teams as well as any other manufacturer and that our business model has worked as far as winning championships and being competitive," Davis told The Associated Press.

"We don't like it when drivers leave, especially when they're the quality of Mark. But the climate of NASCAR is changing and we've, unfortunately, felt the brunt of it this season."

To wrap up the 2006 season, NASCAR.COM takes a look at Ford from a competition standpoint, focusing on the manufacturer's history, team owners, Ford executives and the Car of Tomorrow, as well as the Blue Oval's racing history and timeline.

While Ford -- the company -- is experiencing a slow period (as are each of the other two in the Big Three), Ford -- the racing teams -- remains committed to returning to Victory Lane on a more regular basis in 2007 and beyond.

Has Ford taken a back seat to Chevrolet -- and / or Dodge -- in the Cup Series? Time will tell; certainly Ford Racing doesn't think so.