Ford Focus plus M-Sport WRC rallying again for next 4 years

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Justin Case - 04 Nov 2004 20:26 GMT

Just saw this announcement about the Focus and Ford remaining in rallying
for the next few years.
EXCELLENT NEWS.

Thanks to 4Car website
courtesy of Channel 4 - see
http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=11305

Ford has announced its motorsport programme for the next few years,
confirming a four-year commitment to the World Rally Championships. The
rally programme will continue in partnership with M-Sport, and from 2006, an
all-new Focus RS WRC - which will have a road-going equivalent - will
compete. Ford will also participate in Junior World Rally, Touring Car and
Formula Ford championships, as well as selected one-make race series. The
Fiesta JWRC car will also be developed by M-Sport, who will support
privateer teams, and the Fiesta ST Cup may be extended outside of Germany to
other European countries. A new Focus touring car has also been developed
for sale to customer teams.

Justin Case

Signature

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Reply to this Message

Damon Scott Hynes - 05 Nov 2004 02:15 GMT

> Ford has announced its motorsport programme for the next few years,
> confirming a four-year commitment to the World Rally Championships. The
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> other European countries. A new Focus touring car has also been developed
> for sale to customer teams.

Didn't Peugeot just get out? It's been years since I followed WRC
religiously--is there still a FIA rally stop in N. America?

Reply to this Message

Justin Case - 14 Nov 2004 19:43 GMT

Damon,
Please accept apologies for not replying to your query re Focus and WRC. I have been unable to reply until now but the situation has also changed so much in the last few days that no one is sure what is going on. I follow the rallying by getting the newsletter from http://www.rallye-newsletter.com/ . It is an excellent service and it is recommended to anyone who is interested in rallying and the progress of the New Focus next year in rallying. It seems that the PSA teams of Peugot and Citroen are pulling out of World Rally Championships after next year 2005 after dominating it for the past 5 or 6 years.
Seems like the strangest decision in the world of sports sponsorship. Throw a great deal of money into it and then when you get success, withdraw from it. I am sure there is more to it than that but no one is sure who is in and who is driving for who next year.
Cheers,
Justin

Signature

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

> > Ford has announced its motorsport programme for the next few years,
> > confirming a four-year commitment to the World Rally Championships. The
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Didn't Peugeot just get out? It's been years since I followed WRC
> religiously--is there still a FIA rally stop in N. America?

Reply to this Message

Damon Scott Hynes - 24 Nov 2004 04:27 GMT

Seems like the strangest decision in the world of sports sponsorship. Throw
a great deal of money into it and then when you get success, withdraw from
it. I am sure there is more to it than that but no one is sure who is in and
who is driving for who next year.
Cheers,
Justin

Happens all the time in F1, and when Toyota gets out of the IRL in 2006...

But it is too bad, since WRC is better racing than F1 and probably more
technology transfer, too.

Signature

Damon Hynes - I don't need a bed, I'm a digital man.

Marny Stanier --
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheMarnyStanierAppreciationSociety/

Reply to this Message

Rate this thread: