Ford Racing - History

History

  • 1896 - Henry Ford reached a top speed of 20 mph in his first car, Quadricycle.
  • 1901 - Henry Ford defeated Alexander Winton (the most accomplished automobile builder/racer of the era) in a 10-lap race on a one-mile oval at the Detroit Driving Club, Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He overcame his rival's more powerful car in Sweepstakes, a racing car of his own design.
  • 1903 - Ford 999 (named after a famous New York Central train), driven by Barney Oldfield, lapped the Indiana Fairgrounds dirt track at a then-record 60 mph.
  • 1909 - A Ford Model T won the transcontinental New York to Seattle cross-country race (about 6600 km).
  • 1932 - Ford introduced its V-8 Flathead engine, bringing V-8 power into mass production with the slogan "Everyman’s power for the road, and Everyman’s power for racing".
  • 1932 - Two car mechanics win the Swedish Winter Grand Prix driving a Ford special.
  • 1936 - Ionel Zamfirescu and P. G. Cristea won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Ford V8 "Flathead".
  • 1949 - Jim Roper, driving a Lincoln, won the first NASCAR race.
  • 1967 - Jim Clark, driving a Lotus-Ford, won the Dutch Grand Prix. This is Ford's first grand prix victory.
  • 2003 - Giancarlo Fisichella, driving a Jordan-Ford, won the Brazilian Grand Prix. This is Ford's 176th and last grand prix victory.
  • 2011 - Trevor Bayne wins the 2011 Daytona 500 in a 1-2-3 finish for Ford. It would be Ford's 600th NASCAR victory.

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