It's about time for a reversal, no matter how small.

Ford moves jobs, production from Mexico to America

 

An article from Detroit News reports that Ford Motor Co. plans to announce details of a manufacturing shift of medium-duty trucks from Mexico to the United States. 

Its F-650s and F-750s will be moved to the Ohio Assembly Plant, and the switch is planned to take place in early 2015.

According to the story, Mark Fields, who served as the company's American production president, said in 2011 that moving the commercial vehicle production in-house will streamline and strengthen the engineering and manufacturing of the next-generation medium-duty trucks. 

It was also announced in December that Ford would pour $128 million into the Ohio Assembly Plant to support commercial truck production, to in-source production of its F53 motor home chassis and F59 commercial stripped chassis, Detroit News said.

Are we building enough Buicks?

DETROIT– Closing its first full year, the Encore became the Buick lineup’s fifth model and second crossover, ringing up sales success in one of the industry’s fastest-growing segments.

Entering the small SUV and small luxury SUV segment in the U.S. at the end of last January, the Encore helped boost sales in a rapidly expanding market that just last year alone, grew by 52 percent from 2012.

“Right out of the gate, demand for the Encore was high,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick marketing. “It accounted for most of the segment’s growth last year and that’s because it offers the right safety, technology, and features in the right-sized vehicle for many customers.”

As one of the first luxury crossovers of its size, Encore’s U.S. retail sales reached 31,046 units during its first full year of sales. Globally, the Encore sold 97,311 vehicles in calendar year 2013, helping Buick set its global sales record of 1,032,056 last year.

“The small SUV segment looks like the next hot spot in the new-car market,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “The combination of functionality and fuel efficiency offered by models like the Buick Encore makes them a compelling value equation for consumers.  We're seeing rising research activity in these models from users of KBB.com, and we expect sales to grow in the coming months and years.”

Encore’s early entry to these segments is significant. Combined, the segments are expected to more than double in sales between now and 2018.

 The Encore earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2013 Top Safety Pick and 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It also ranked highest in the Sub-Compact CUV segment in the 2013 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study^SM and among others, was named the winner of Kelley Blue Book’s 2014 5-Year Cost to Own awards in the Luxury Compact SUV/Crossover category.

Encore customers cite good fuel economy, high quality and exterior design as the top reasons for purchase, with one in two buyers coming from a non-General Motors brand.

About Buick
Buick is an international modern luxury brand offering vehicles with sculpted designs, luxurious interiors and thoughtful personal technologies, along with responsive-yet-efficient performance. Buick is attracting new customers with its portfolio of award-winning luxury models in North America and China. Learn more about Buick cars and crossovers at www.buick.com, on Twitter @buick, on Pinterest or at www.facebook.com/buick

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Antron's win in Arizona and the prelude to Gainsville.

Posted by: Megan Schumacher, Don Schumacher Racing

Hello again everyone. It’s Wednesday morning and I can honestly say that I’m glad I’m in Florida and not Indy. My friends at the shop said it was seven degrees driving to work this morning. Seven degrees! It’s almost March. This winter just won’t let up.

Well, we scored our first win of the season last Sunday at the newly named Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Antron and the Matco Tools team scored our first Wally of the season and win number 220 for DSR. The Matco car continues to run well and dating back to last season they have won three of the last six races. Now we need to get one of our Team DSR Funny Cars in the winner’s circle at the Gatornationals in a few weeks.

Phoenix was a surprisingly busy race for our drivers. TJ and Jack both did the pre-event press conference on Thursday at the track in Chandler and Jack even gave members of the media rides in the two-seat Super Comp dragster. TJ then had an early wake-up call on Friday morning and did two Phoenix TV morning shows from the track. His first hit was at 5:30 a.m. and TJ isn’t a morning person, but he knew the importance given it was Make-A-Wish’s home market. Thanks for being a trooper TJ! Haha. Our PR team jokes, that 5:30 is really 7:30 ET back in Indy where TJ lives. Saturday morning it was Antron’s turn and he joined DSR Chef Malcolm Clark for a Saturday Phoenix-area morning show. We’re lucky to have a great group of drivers who know the importance of exposing our sport of NHRA racing to new fans.

On the way to the track on Friday, we stopped at Sprinkle’s cupcakes shop in Scottsdale and brought the boys cupcakes. They all work so hard, so it’s fun to surprise them with a treat. And Sprinkle’s are so yummy!

Saturday was a very gratifying day at the track for all of us at DSR. We hosted more than 200 Make-A-Wish guests. Given Make-A-Wish is headquartered in Phoenix, it was so great to see the outpouring of support for TJ and the team at the track on Saturday. TJ made two great laps at 4.07 and 4.02 to move up to the No. 2 qualifying spot on the Q4 pass. Winning races is great, but putting a smile on the faces of the Make-A-Wish families is so extremely gratifying and I can’t express how proud we are to have partnered with both Terry Chandler and everyone at Make-A-Wish and we can’t wait to host families at Gainesville in a few weeks. I think the most touching part of Saturday came during a pit tour when a little boy gave the Make-A-Wish Dodge Funny Car a kiss for good luck. It was just adorable and that was before TJ ran the 4.02!

After the race, we celebrated in the winner’s circle. My mom had a few of her friends in town, so they got to celebrate with us. Tracy Stange is the life of the party and always keeps us in stitches. She decided to lay on Antron’s dragster in the winner’s circle photo. Tracy is a hoot.

After that, mom and I took a red eye flight home as I had a final exam on Monday. It’s final’s week. Woo hoo! The good news is that I only have one more quarter of school left after this week and then it’s all done at Lynn University for me. Now that’s exciting! Don flew to Colorado for a few days to spend some time with his daughter, Tara.

The U.S. Army and Mopar Express Lane teams tested on Monday after the Phoenix race and the other teams headed East on Monday morning. Most of the teams are back at the shop gearing up for the Gators. We have some paint work to do on the NAPA body that hit the wall on Sunday at Pomona and we have to repair the front nose of the Valvoline MaxLife car. It will go to Aerodine for carbon fiber work and then to paint at SD Enterprises up in Michigan. We also have a few Funny Cars being wrapped. Jack will have a special one-off paint scheme at Gainesville that you will read about soon. Needless to say, it will be a busy few weeks at DSR before the team’s leave to Gainesville on March 12.

That’s it for now. Stay warm and have a great week.

JFR Race Report- Wild Horse Pass- Phoenix Finals

TEAM JFR RACE REPORT 2^nd of 24 races in the NHRA Mello Yello Series

 Phoenix, AZ-Feb. 23, 2014

 Final round results from Sunday’s 30^th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, second race in the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

FUNNY CAR – Alexis DeJoria, Austin, Texas., Patron XO Café Toyota Camry, 4.043, 309.63 mph def. Robert Hight, Yorba Linda, Calif., Auto Club Ford Mustang, 5.491, 142.19 mph.

TOP FUEL – Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., Matco Tools dragster, 3.755, 324.20 mph def. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol EDGE dragster, 3.793, 322.04 mph

B. FORCE RACES TO FIRST TF FINAL; HIGHT ALSO RUNNER-UP

"PHOENIX, AZ ---- It was a historic day for John Force Racing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park during the running of the 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. For the first time JFR landed race cars in both the final round of the Funny Car and Top Fuel categories. In only 26 starts Brittany Force raced to her first career final round losing a close race to 2012 Top Fuel champion Antron Brown. Robert Hight raced to his first final of 2014 and just missed his 30th career win racing against Alexis DeJoria.

Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE dragster enjoyed their best weekend making eight consecutive quality passes (four in qualifying and four on race day) en route to a final round appearance. On race day Brittany Force avenged her 2013 loss to David Grubnic out running him in the first round and in the second round the sophomore driver defeated  7-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher posting a winning elapsed time of 3.805 to his 5.017 seconds. It was Force’s first win over Schumacher and it was a bucket list moment for the young driver.

“That round win will definitely be a highlight of my season until we get that first win. Tony Schumacher is awesome he is the champ. He has beaten my butt many times so I was happy to go out there and get the win. That is a round win I always wanted to get. To win against him was awesome,” said Force.

Last woman to win in Top Fuel was Hillary Will on June 1, 2008 at Topeka where she beat Larry Dixon in the final. Brittany Force is the 10^th different driver to take a JFR fuel car to the final round after John Force, Tony Pedregon, Densham, Eric Medlen, Robert Hight, Ashley Force Hood, Courtney Force, Mike Neff and Phil Burkart Jr.

 In the semi-finals Force continued to make quality passes besting Steve Torrence 3.814 to 4.187 seconds. In the final round Force had to take on one of the most popular and successful drivers on tour, Antron Brown. Their dragsters launched together and at the finish line it was Brown getting the win light 3.755 seconds to Force’s 3.793 which was her best run of the weekend. While there was no winner’s circle celebration there was still plenty of excitement in the Castrol EDGE pits.

“I am still so excited. I wanted to get that win in the first final but I know that first win is coming. We are getting closer. We did great today and we made our best run in the final with that 3.79. I am stoked and I am so proud of my guys. This Castrol EDGE team is really coming along,” said Force. “We are getting better. It is the second race of the season and to go to our first final. I couldn’t be happier.”

Brittany Force ironically enjoyed one of her best Super Comp outings at Phoenix in 2007 (Feb. 25).  She won three rounds before losing to Shawn Langdon in round four. 

Today’s performance for Brittany made her the first Top Fuel driver to reach the finals in a Ford powered dragster since "Sneaky Pete" Robinson won the Summernationals at York, Pa., on July 19, 1970.  This is just the seventh time a Ford-powered dragster has been in an NHRA final round.

While Force is still learning the ropes her competitors are taking notice of her continued development and success. Perhaps the best compliment any young driver can get is the respect of their fellow racers.

“She’s in a young stage in her career and she’s just getting better and better and you can tell it. That’s how she got to the final. Her car was on point and it was consistent all day and that’s what got her those round wins. I didn’t look at who I raced, I know I’m racing John Force (Racing) and you know they can step up and they did step up. We’re not taking any of them lightly. None of these teams are out here to play games. It’s not recess anymore. School is in and you better have your thinking caps on and be ready to go out there and do work,” said Antron Brown, 2012 Top Fuel champion and 26-time Top Fuel winner.

“I don’t look at her as being a female, not because she’s a sophomore, I look at her as a tough, top competitor, and I’m going to give her my A+ game like everyone else. She was a strong competitor all day and we were not taking them lightly at all. It’s got Castrol on the side, that’s John Force Racing. We’re going after them just like we do everyone else.”

Moments before Brittany Force posted her runner-up finish Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team smoked the tires in their final round race versus Alexis DeJoria. The Auto Club Mustang had been moderately inconsistent this weekend qualifying No. 3 with a 4.030 second pass on Friday but smoking the tires in the next three runs including the first round today. Hight won a classic pedal-fest versus Cruz Pedregon to advance to the second round.

In the second round and semi-finals Hight’s Auto Club Mustang was one of the best Funny Cars of the class posting winning times of 4.059 seconds over Jack Beckman and 4.047 seconds over Tommy Johnson Jr.

In the finals Hight launched hard and then lost traction a few hundred feet down track. He was forced to watch DeJoria drive away for her first career Funny Car win.

“First congratulations to Alexis DeJoria. I knew it was going to be a tough race and we were going for it. This Auto Club Mustang has been a little up and down this weekend. We made two killer runs in the middle of the day running 4.05 to beat Beckman and then 4.04 to beat Tommy Johnson Jr.,” said Hight.

“We knew we would need another run like that in the final to get the win. I am glad we moved up in the points. It is early in the season but you want to get round wins and put pressure on the other teams. I wish Gainesville was next weekend. My guys did a great job this weekend qualifying No. 3 and getting to a final. Our next win is right around the corner.”

It was almost a JFR versus JFR final round but John Force was upended by DeJoria in the semi-finals. The Mello Yello points leader was trying to reach his seventh consecutive final round but fell a few hundredths of a second short.

Force’s race day began in bizarre fashion as his first round opponent Jeff Diehl was shut off on the starting line due to a fuel leak. Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Funny Car smoked the tires on a single most likely avoiding a No. 16 versus No. 1 qualifier upset.

In the second round Force narrowly defeated Bob Tasca III 4,106 to 4.120 which would wind up being Force’s best run of the day.

“I knew he would give us a good race. We have been off a little bit since Pomona. We ran that 3.99 on Friday night here at Wild Horse Pass. Jimmy prock said we have had some ignition problems and so did Mike Neff. We dug deep and we found it. It went right down the race track. We are still in the game and we are excited to be going rounds,” said Force.

Force will leave Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park with the Mello Yello points lead and a rededication to winning. At the end of the day the 16-time Funny Car champion was proud of his entire team.

“That’s one of my kids out there and I love her and I am proud of her. That is a lot of pressure up there and it took me a lot of years to learn to handle it. She is handling it really well. She is right on her game. She was right on the tree and right there with Antron, a champion. That is all I can ask for,” said Force.

“We make a lot of power and have great chassis. I see Jimmy prock and those guys working hard. No one had any data for this race track and we were learning every run just like everybody else. We are going after another championship. It is great to get Robert up in the points in second place right behind me and they are real close to their first win of the season.”

Courtney Force lined up beside Del Worsham in the opening round of race day at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the 30th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. Force in the right lane and Worsham with lane choice in the left lane gave the fans a great show, but Force couldn’t get the win.

“We went up there and had Worsham first round. He made a solid pass down the track. We had the right lane and couldn’t get down it as well, but I did the best job I could to pedal the car. It hooked up quick and got down there, but he was long gone for the win. I was hoping we could get around him, but we ran out of race track,” said Force.

This is the eighth time the pair has matched up on race day. Force had to pedal it to get her Traxxas Ford Mustang to the finish line, posting a 4.499 at 291.95 mph, but Worsham laid down a 4.121 ET at 303 mph.

“We’re working with a new car this season. It’s a lot of change for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team, but you know what, we’re staying positive. This car is very capable of running well and we’ve already seen that. We’re just trying to get it to run more consistently,” said Force.

The John Force Racing team, made up of three Funny Car teams and one Top Fuel team will be staying for post-event testing on Monday after the race weekend at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

“We’re coming out here tomorrow in Phoenix, back at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, and testing our hotrod to see what we can bring to the table at Gainesville,” said Force."

Big & Little Changes for the 2014 March Meet- March 6-9, 2014

Bakersfield, CA - February 12, 2014 -  Jim Murphy will be chasing his record setting 5th March Meet title piloting the front engined dragster that has won the last 2 March Meets. The car, formerly owned by Frank and Debra Ousley and driven by Jimmy Young, has been purchased by Murphy giving him what many feel is his best possible chance of securing a 5th March Meet win. The Ousley’s will be back at the 2014 March Meet with their “Crop Duster” funny car. Jimmy Young, will return in his own front engine dragster.

Funny car driver & owner Jason Rupert has had a stranglehold on the NHRA Heritage Funny Car championship. 2013 was his 3rd consecutive title and rumor has it that he may be preparing to field 2 Funny Cars at this years March Meet. Rupert wasn’t ready to commit to a “for sure thing” but we may see the “Black Plague” and the “Merritt Littlefield” flopper campaigning under the Rupert flag at the 2014 March Meet.

Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster pilot Mendy Fry will return to the Heritage series chase after taking a year off and helping Denver Schutz and his Top Fuel team. This time Mendy will find herself back in the familiar surroundings of a funny car. Larry “Smokey” Alleman wooed Fry to pilot his 1978 “Smokey’s Darkside” Challenger for the 2014 season. Alleman and crew will be running a 426-cubic inch Arias hemi, a “Hemi heads on a Chevy block” combination, unique to the 30 plus expected entrants for the 2014 March Meet funny car class.

Peter Gallen and his “Poverty Stricken” Funny Car will be making the long trek from Pennsylvania to California. Sick of the cold and snow, Peter decided to load the flopper up and enjoy some California Sun. This will be Gallens first trip back to Auto Club Famoso Raceway in 3 years.

Tim Boychuk in the Troy-Lee Designs funny car will pair up with nitro tuning guru Roland Leong for a run at the 2014 March Meet title. Boychuk and co-owner Ron Hodgson won the 2013 March Meet.

The top 8 points earners from the 2013 Boise-Bakersfield Blitz will compete in a special 8 car shootout during funny car qualifying on Friday & Saturday with the winner receiving a $3,000 bonus.

Tim Boychuk, Jason Rupert, Rick Rogers and Dennis Taylor (all tied for 9th place) have a chance to participate in the 8 car shootout now that 3rd place finisher Dennis LaCharite has vacated his driving position to Cory Lee (Lee will pilot the “Back in Black” ‘69 GTO funny car for the 2014 season).

Every year the crowds cheer the short wheel base flame spewing nitro burning altereds as they wiggle their way down the quarter-mile. Usually ran as an exhibition class, this year the fuel altereds will compete in a 6 second index class allowing all the drivers a chance to compete for a prized “Wally” and be crowned March Meet Champion. Another addition this year will be the 6.90 Door slammer class. These giant motored beasts will be a new class competing at the 2014 March Meet.

Auto Club Famoso Raceway has again partnered with TheFOAT.com. TheFOAT.com has handled the on-line ticket sales quickly and efficiently. Purchasing tickets online allows fans to bypass the lines at the gate and get right into the event.

Race fans can purchase a “Super 4-Day Event Pass” for $100 online. There are also specially priced passes for three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday: $75) and two days (Saturday and Sunday: $55).

Walk up tickets for the event will go on sale March 6 at the track. Ticket prices are $25 for Thurs., Mar. 6; $25 for Fri., Mar. 7; $30 for Sat., Mar. 8; and $30 for Sun., Mar. 9. Tickets for children ages 6-12 are $10 each day and kids 5 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.

Other prices announced include, event camping: $125 for all four days; VIP parking: $50 (good for the entire event); and VIP four-day Quarter Mile Courtyard seating: adults $165, children $105 (space is limited).

March Meet tickets can be ordered online at www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com. Racer, Swap Meet and Vendor entry forms can be found on the website as well.

Fans can connect with Auto Club Famoso Raceway by following them on Facebook; http://www.facebook.com/Auto.Club.Famoso.Raceway

The Kern County Racing Association operates Auto Club Famoso Raceway (just north of Bakersfield, Calif.) and promotes a full schedule of races year round, including the world famous March Meet, which is recognized as the Mecca of nostalgia drag racing. For more details, visit www.autoclubfamosoraceway.com.

FORCE DOUBLES UP No. 1 QUALIFIER AND WINNER AT WINTERNATIONALS

POMONA, CA (February 9, 2014) – John Force won it all today at the 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals. He was No. 1 qualifier, won the race and set the national elapsed time record (3.965 seconds) and speed record (324.12 mph). While Force was collecting another Wally and 20 extra bonus points for the ET record, two fans that signed up for the “Win with Force” promotion we collecting front loading washers and dryers and a 55” flat screen TV.

“I’ve got a good race car. It is amazing. We are out here trying to run good for the fans. (Crew chief) Jimmy Prock and the whole brain trust are working together. I am back in the game and we are excited. Everything is just going right. I just don’t get it. There is a lot going on and we are excited that PEAK antifreeze joined us. What a good time to flex your muscles,” said Force who won the Winternationals for the seventh time.

Force’s 139th win put a 55” flat screen TV into the hands of Steven Mayes of Vista, California. On Saturday Mayes signed up at the “Win with Force” display and 24 hours later Force was outrunning Matt Hagan for the Winternationals win and a “Win with Force” double up. 

On Saturday Jeremy Anderson, of Riverside, California won the washer and dryer combo as Force captured the 147th No. 1 qualifier of his career.  

At each NHRA national event when a JFR team qualifies No. 1 a lucky fan that has signed up at the JFR “Win with Force” display located in Nitro Alley will be eligible to win the BrandSource No. 1 Qualifier Award, a front loading washer and dryer set.  If a JFR driver wins the event a different fan will win the 55” flat screen TV Winner’s Circle Award from BrandSource.  At the end of the season a grand prize winner of the “Win with Force” Sweepstakes will be awarded a 2014 Ford Escape S-Series.

Thanks to a winning season by John Force Racing in 2013, BrandSource gave away eight flat-screen televisions and nine washers & dryers to lucky fans. More than 24,000 race fans registered to win prizes at the “Win with Force” display in NHRA’s Nitro Alley. Another 91,000 fans signed up online at BrandSource.com.

Fans can sign up to win at the John Force Racing interactive midway display. This 53-foot trailer will be in the Nitro Alley area of every NHRA Mello Yello Series national event in 2014. The “Win with Force” promotion now includes JFR team partners Castrol, BrandSource, Ford, and Mac Tools, all joining together to create an incredible promotion for the fans.

Fans can sign up to win exciting prizes at NHRA events http://www.brandsource.com/jfr-contest/ as well as at thousands of BrandSource stores across the country.