Ford to support RPM same as Yates Racing

Quote :

RICHMOND, Va. – Ford’s investment in Sprint Cup remains the same for 2010 as it did in 2009 even though it will add at least one additional full-time team as a result of the pending Richard Petty Motorsports-Yates Racing merger.

Brian Wolfe, Ford’s motorsports director for North America, said initial talks between RPM and Ford began roughly around May of this year. Discussions then increased about seven weeks ago.

Wolfe also said while money can be adjusted depending on the projects the teams need help with, the Richard Petty Motorsports team will pretty much assume the Yates Racing contract with Ford. Yates has had two full-time cars this year and one part-time car, while the new Richard Petty Motorsports will be a four-car team.

The proposed merger allows RPM to use Roush-Yates Engines instead of having its own engine department.

“We never offered any upfront cash,” said Brian Wolfe, Ford’s motorsports director for North America. “It was all about the tools and basically the integrity behind the Roush-Yates engine organization. You’re definitely going to have a competitive motor from a power and fuel economy perspective, you’re definitely going to have analytical tools that are as good or better than anybody else’s.”

Roush Fenway Racing has to cut from five to four teams for 2010, and Yates Racing only had one full-time sponsor and driver (Paul Menard with his family sponsorship) for next year. The proposed merger gives Ford another four-car team.

“They’ve got some very good drivers, they’ve got some good sponsors, … I expect them to run four very, very strong cars next year,” Wolfe said.

One of the drivers Ford gets is Kasey Kahne, whom Ford sued in 2004 after Kahne broke his Ford contract for Ray Evernham’s Dodge operation. Kahne eventually won in court with the judge dismissing the case.

“Myself not being around in that, … there may be an individual or two at Ford that maybe had an issue with Kasey, but Ford as a whole didn’t have an issue,” Wolfe said. “Kasey is a great young man and a super driver. He’s going to bring a lot to the party for us. … Obviously there were some hurt feelings there. I hope that we can work through those quickly and work together going forward.”

Ford plans on using its new drivers and team personnel for its marketing efforts, even though all four drivers – Kahne, Elliott Sadler, AJ Allmendinger – all have contracts that run out after next season.

“We use all the driver personalities in that that are currently in Fords,” Wolfe said about marketing campaigns such as the current “We race, you win” program. “Like any other sport and any other team, sometimes things do change. But my own going into this positions, I wouldn’t want to be so gun shy and say, ‘I’ve got to wait and see and wait a year.’ I’m going to have to assume they’re going to work things out with the drivers and the drivers will become long term.”

~Scene Daily~

The same funding for a 4 car teams as they're giving a 2 car team? That doesn't sound right. Really makes me surprised that RPM took the deal.

I have to admit that I was surprised also.

I got a bad feeling about next year if this is true.....

I read this too. RPM was already shortchanging it this year, running 4 cars with resources for 3. If this is the case next year, it is going to be a long year.

well how much money did dodge give RPM???? all I know is that they were behind in payments- Ford has more money so it may equal out to be about the same

I think they stopped receiving Dodge payments around the time Dodge was really having financial problems, maybe the mid or late summer? Because of that, they hardly ran the new Dodge engine this year. I don't think Dodge had the funds to run them next year (I think I read that), and so RPM looked to Ford. I guess money for 2 teams (used for 4) is better than money for 0 being used for 4...

If I recall correctly, Dodge has caught up on their payments now, though.