Ford
has announced the opening of its new Ford Technical Support Centre in Concord,
N.C. The centre will add an array of tools to develop future performance
vehicles and help increase Ford’s overall success in motorsports.
According
to a company report, the centre will become fully operational soon and the 33,000-square-foot
building will serve as a centre for Ford Racing technical support and for teams
to develop and test their cars for competition. The location was selected
because of its proximity to the Nascar research and development centre and a
majority of race car team headquarters.
“Motorsports
and product development at Ford are interlinked, and this new centre will house
advanced tools that will serve both our race teams and the development of
future Ford performance vehicles,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Ford
global product development.
With
its advanced simulation and measurement tools, the centre is just the latest
investment by Ford in its pursuit to offer a profitable lineup of performance
vehicles. The new infrastructure will allow swifter and smarter leverage of the
latest in product development technology.
From
the growing popularity of its Sport-branded models including the EcoBoost
V6-powered Explorer Sport, to the award-winning Fiesta ST and its Focus ST
stablemate, Taurus SHO, to the SVT Mustang GT500 and F-150 SVT Raptor, to
extreme performance RS derivatives, Ford provides true performance options
throughout its model range.
“Performance
is a critical and growing business for Ford,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive
vice president, global marketing, sales and service and Lincoln. “We recognise
our customers want vehicles that offer great fuel economy, leading technology
and a great driving experience. Our new technical centre is another tool that
will help us continue to grow our performance vehicle business around the
world.”
Initially,
the facility will focus on supporting Nascar teams in all three major touring
divisions, but will eventually expand to include other Ford Racing teams
participating in other series.
“This
facility is an investment in advanced Ford Racing technical tools that will
support our goal of winning races and championships,” said Jamie Allison,
director, Ford Racing, adding “It also provides us with expansion capabilities
as we support our broader array of Ford teams from Nascar, the Tudor United
SportsCar Championship, IMSA, Rally and Global RallyCross, NHRA and other
series.”
Source: Ford Motor Company, US