Ford Racing boss making best of bearish economy (cont'd)

Unlike GM and Chrysler, its traditional competitors from Detroit, Ford has not had to ask the government for financial help. Wolfe credits Ford CEO Alan Mulally for keeping the company and the motorsports program viable by coming up with a conservative approach over the past several years to future sales and the amount of money to be spent on marketing, which includes motorsports.

When the bottom fell out last year, Ford was prepared.

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"It wasn't like it was unforeseen and we had to tear up our plan and start over," Wolfe said. "That's why we were putting our focus in NASCAR on the Cup Series and [why] we're staying in the NHRA, primarily focused on the Funny Cars and the sportsman racers who work with us so well and do so much for us."

But NASCAR is Ford Racing's biggest stage.

"I couldn't be happier with the performance of our teams this year," Wolfe said. "We don't have as many teams [as other manufacturers], but I've learned long ago it's the quality of the teams you have and the qualify of the guys you've got working for you that make a big difference.

"Right before I came to the motorsports job, I had between 800 and 900 people working for me in power train. Sometimes, you're a lot better off with a smaller, highly talented crew than an average group. I think I've got the best concentration of talent within Cup."

Wolfe said a key for Ford's NASCAR Cup program is that all three of its teams -- Roush Fenway Racing, Yates Racing and part-time competitor Wood Brothers Racing -- use engines built by the Roush-Yates alliance.

"Instead of each team, like with some of the other OEMs that have three or four teams developing a Chevy engine or Dodge or whatever, we've got all that engine development focused in one shop," Wolfe explained. "So we don't have two different people learning the same thing independently. That basically costs teams twice as much money to do that.

"So that focus of all that effort working with Doug Yates and Roush Yates engines has given us, I think, a significant advantage. I can assure you I'm not lacking for power and I'm not lacking for fuel economy on the engine side."

Heading into the first idle weekend of the 2009 season, things look pretty good for Ford on track. Roush Fenway's Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are all in the top 10 in points.

And, while there is the possibility that at least one of Ford's biggest competitors could face bankruptcy or even go out of business this year, Wolfe isn't wishing anyone ill.

"It's no fun when you're only racing against yourself," he said. "Competition is great and I really hope that all three of our competitors continue to be out there on the track. If it turns into a single manufacturer series, I think the fans lose and I think the OEM's lose a great marketing opportunity as well."

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