Henry Ford could’ve given up. No one would’ve blamed him.
In January 1901, at 37 years old, Ford had already failed at business. He’d risked all he had on the Detroit Automobile Company, his first attempt at auto manufacturing, and when that company dissolved moved into his parent’s home with wife Clara and son Edsel.
He could’ve walked away. Instead, Ford decided he needed a new spotlight – so he built a race car. That car brought him a most-unlikely victory, and the investors to help him start Ford Motor Company.
One-hundred twelve years later, Ford race cars are still on the track in different series around the world. In celebration of his 150th birthday, Ford brands Motorcraft/Quick Lane and Ford Racing will honor Henry Ford’s legacy with a special paint scheme in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway July 26-28, 2013, with Wood Brothers Racing and driver Trevor Bayne.
Wood Brothers Racing, both Ford’s and NASCAR’s oldest continuously operating Sprint Cup team, and Bayne will unveil the design Wednesday (July 24, 2013) at Henry Ford Museum, with the help of Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of Henry Ford, and representatives from the museum.
Ford’s plan to build a race car would’ve sounded crazy at the time. Even though he’d failed, he wasn’t ready to walk away from auto manufacturing. He needed to win new investors, though, so to do that, he’d need attention.
Ford’s opponent, Alexander Winton, was the Richard Petty of his day – a handsome success who, unlike Henry, already had a winning race record and more than that, a robust auto manufacturing business to his credit. Winton’s automobile was the most technologically advanced and powerful machine on the market. His was the first to cross the country coast to coast. That Winton would defeat Henry Ford was so sure, he was asked to pick out the trophy.
It cost Ford approximately $5,000 to build “Sweepstakes,” the car he’d race against Winton at the one-mile oval Blue Ribbon horse racing track in front of packed crowd in Grosse Pointe, Mich. on Oct. 10, 1901.
The 10-mile race was a challenge for Ford, who had never raced. But he passed Winton late in the race and captured the $1,000 prize and the glass punch bowl trophy. Afterward, Ford vowed he’d never race again. He wouldn’t need to. His courage and innovation had achieved the end goal – the attention of investors who would back him in his next automotive venture.
One-hundred-fifty years after his birth, the company he founded, Ford Motor Company, still thrives today as an example of global enterprise done well – the symbol of which, a Blue Oval, is synonymous with perseverance and performance.
“It’s an honor for Motorcraft and Quick Lane and FordParts.com to be able to be part of this,” said Travis Hunt, motorsports marketing manager, Ford Customer Service Division. “To have Henry Ford on our vehicle, and to transform it into a celebration of the 150-year legacy he created is really special for us.”
Wood Brothers Racing has 98 wins to its credit, with legendary drivers like David Pearson, A.J. Foyt, Dale Jarrett and Cale Yarborough behind the wheel.
“We’ve raced Fords since we started racing in 1950 with my dad (Glen Wood) when he started the team,” said Eddie Wood, who now runs the family-owned team with brother Len. “We’ve never had anything but that. To be the team that’s picked to put Henry Ford’s 150th on our car, that’s a huge honor.”
Everything about this year’s Brickyard 400 will be steeped in historical significance for the Woods, including the location itself. While NASCAR has only been racing at the track since the 1990s, Wood Brothers Racing’s history stretches back to 1965 – when the team’s quick pit stops propelled driver Jim Clark and his Ford-powered Lotus to Ford Racing’s first win at the Indianapolis 500.
“This track is quite special for us,” said Len Wood.
The significance of the milestone isn’t lost on Bayne, who himself won against impossible odds in the 2011 Daytona 500 just a day after turning 20 years old.
“One-hundred and fifty years, that’s huge,” Trevor Bayne said. “If I could tell him ‘happy 150th birthday,’ I’d be asking him his secret, first of all. I’d thank him for all he’s done for us and our sport. For the country, really.”
For live updates from the Brickyard 400 and all season long, follow the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion team on Twitter (MQL_Racing) and Facebook (click on the “Twitter” icon). Follow Wood Brothers Racing on Facebook and Twitter (@WoodBrothers21) and driver Trevor Bayne on Facebook and Twitter (@TBayne21).
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