2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ? - Page 4

Tom P · 04-08-2019, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dallas Kelly

History would seem to suggest that 10 years, plus or minus, is the length of Ford's attention span when it comes to drag racing support on a macro scale. It "could" return in, say, 35 or 40 years.

62 lightweight Galaxie to Pinto ProStocks in 72.. 10 years!

The 82 EXP ProStocker and Motorsport parts till the 94 Mustang Bob Glidden didn't like... 12 years !

You are onto something!

D.Johns · 04-09-2019, 04:35 AM

You know what else happens in 7-10 year increments is US economic recessions. They tend to coincide with each other within a year +/-... which usually also coincides within 6-12 months of when we have an inverted yield curve... guess what happened a few weeks ago?? Default rates are way up on mortgage and automobile loans as another indicator with increasing days of inventory for both.

Hang on as 2019 should be a brace for impact time period. A lot of people are already bracing for it and I recommend it to.

Now as far as the involvement and leadership of the drag race program will always remain a challenge. It is a fine line between business and throwing good money after bad. The new drag race programs were initially designed to be profitable without the added marketing side as a bonus. It is a different environment we are living in today then we were in 08. A new business plan is needed to make the drag racing program viable. You also have to have someone that is very charismatic and be the driving force to push things through that you know is the right decision. It is certainly a job that not everyone is cut out for. The previous people on the Ford Performance group left some big shoes to fill. People that have moved on are really incredible people and they were the right people at the right time. Timing plays a large part how everyone view someone else as an success. Much like in sports people that were successful in the past environment wouldn’t be the superstars in the current environment. Same goes with today’s superstars not being able to have the same success in the past environment.

There are things I have agreed with and things I’ve disagreed with of how certain companies conduct their business and their vision going forward. We shall see the results of the sum of their choices in the future and try to learn from them. Hopefully everyone is able to grow stronger and better from their plans going forward.

Mike Delahanty I did not know very well and at first I was hesitant as to him being able to fill Brian Wolfe and Jesse Kershaw’s shoes. After having a conversation face to face with him I was able to breath a sigh of relief that there was still positive things happening within Ford Performance.

PhilG · 04-09-2019, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

I don't know the circumstances.

Ken,
Mike's internal email address has an automatic reply (written by Mike) that says after 10 years in Ford Racing he has elected to return to retirement. It's a brief, positive sounding statement, and says to contact Ken Felcher (kfelcher@ford.com) for Ford Performance questions. That is all the information I have access to.

rognelson777 · 04-09-2019, 12:59 PM

Look around where else the money is going. Ford is now sponsoring funny cars again, Tasca Wilkerson

Ford also has spent major money in nascar with 8 top level teams, Penske 3 teams with a wood bros/Menards satellite team. Stewart haas with 4 teams (ford was able to get them to change from chevy a couple of years ago).. Roush is still sponsored by ford, 2 teams, but roush has not done much lately

Toyota now only sponsoring 4 top teams in nascar and chevy has 8 teams, all chevys suffering right now though..

Final 4 teams last year were 2 fords and 2 toyotas.

Jesse Kershaw · 04-13-2019, 03:58 AM

I'm glad to see the concern over the program and thought I would share some of my thoughts as I'm in the unique position of being the only Cobra Jet program manager to delivery every single turn-key car to date, despite having been gone from Ford for more than 2 years.

It was important to me while I was there for the car to be a value but also be profitable for the company. My belief is that if it's not profitable then changes in management structure would make it easy to dismiss. When things get tough unprofitable programs get cut.

When Ford Racing became Ford Performance the groups changed drastically and became more fractured. What was SVT vehicles became FP Vehicles and the pro racing engineering portion of Ford Racing moved over there and reported up the mainstream engineering structure. THis brought enormous resources to race operations and you see the results especially in NASCAR.

The marketing for FP vehicles and pro racing marketing split off and reports up the mainstream marketing channel.

This left FP parts an orphan reporting up yet a different channel into a group called vehicle personalization with an entirely new management structure within the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD).

instead of 2 "smokestacks" of SVT and Ford Racing, Ford Performance was now a single name but actually 3 smokestacks with different objectives and goals.

This was not a good thing for the parts program, and Cobra Jet that was developed within in. The first Cobra Jet released under this new structure was the 2016 model. For my part my influence over the program greatly diminished in this new group and in the new structure the engineering team was given largely free reign. The timing and costs doubled, and that's me being nice. Compared to prior model years for the amount of investment the 2016 should have been earth shattering. It was a battle to try and push the engineers to finish the car with the content racers wanted. I firmly believe had I not been there the 2016 model would have been far worse (I have specific examples) and would have been released even later than it was. I believe for the most I did the right things for the program at the expense of my "friendliness" with the engineering team because unfortunately that was the only way to get results.

In late 2016 we did convince Dave Pericak to weigh in on the Cobra Jet program and we had several meetings with him on the 2018 Cobra Jet. The parts program was technically "dotted line" to Dave so while we didn't report to him directly he was a director and had say over Ford Performance content as the overall keeper of the brand. Brian Wolfe even came back for the meetings to help navigate getting the CJ program back on track both with customer content and profitability for the company. Overwhelmingly Pericak sided with the content decisions I was championing but he was knee deep in Ford GT and despite several meetings it was clear that Pericak wanted to do the right thing but didn't have the time to oversee the program and it was unlikely things would change for the better without his aircover.

For my part around this time in fall 2016 I had decided to move on from Ford. One of the final straws to my decision was related to these CJ meetings where our business manager pulled me aside before walking in and threatened to fire me if I "embarrassed" him. He was telling me to lie to Pericak to save him and his cronies embarrassment over the poor financial performance and questionable decisions around the 2016 model. This was the second time he had made such threats and I'm ashamed to admit that while I didn't technically lie for him I was less forthcoming with my answers and lied by omission by not speaking up when I otherwise would have. For me this was the beginning of the end because I could no longer effectively and honestly do my job. (this business manager suddenly and mysteriously "retired" last year without a going away party/luncheon, etc.)

I left Ford in February 2017 and the 2018 CJ had already missed several deadlines and targets but had a 99% complete product description and intent deck. A test car was slated to be out by summer and real cars delivered to the 2018 WInternationals. I had coordinated with the Ford California region and the Mustang marketing manager to make a big deal out of the whole thing. Obviously that did not happen.

The 2019 CJ is drastically different than the product attributes agreed to in 2016. Some things like the new WHipple weren't in existence at the time, others are just different, and IMO worse. I am hesitant to criticize the car details because I want people to love their purchase and even if I know it could have been better I don't want to poison someone who loves their car.

Some of the things I saw after the Ford Performance restructuring that contributed to the group's dysfunction were in violation of the Ford code of ethics. If there was an investigation around such things it could be ongoing and witnesses to an investigation that are no longer with the company would be asked not to discuss it, employees cannot discuss it without jeopardizing their jobs.

I don;'t speak for Ford and I do wish the company and the racers the best but it's hard for me to imagine the program improving without a drastic change in how it's being a approached within the company. As of right now I do not believe a single 2019 CJ has been delivered. (the Skillman and Turk cars were delivered as semi-rollers and a pile of parts I am told). I know I have been criticized for not always "playing nice" within Ford but I stand by what I did because that's what it took to get things done. The new CJ is at least a year late, $25k more expensive, durability unknown, and after 3 years of development there's no way it's profitable. They missed the 50th anniversary model year completely, for comparison in 2008 we didn't start development until spring 2008 and still delivered cars before the end of the year so we could legitimately say it was a true 2008 model. The Showdown engine combo is strong right now largely thanks to Whipple but if there isn't someone constantly working with NHRA I question how long that will last. And with restructuring at Ford this is not the right time to have turmoil and money loss on a program, the CJ program hasn't brought in money for 3 years, and simultaneously had the longest and presumably most expensive development in it's history. IMO the best thing that could happen to the CJ program, and the best way to save it, would be if it is moved out of FP Parts and into the pro race operations group under Mark Rushbrook. I have no confidence in the team currently overseeing it, but for the customers and the program I'd be happy if they prove me wrong.

Larry Hill · 04-13-2019, 06:45 AM

As always, I feel your passion for the CJ Program.

Ken Miele · 04-13-2019, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse Kershaw

It was important to me while I was there for the car to be a value but also be profitable for the company. My belief is that if it's not profitable then changes in management structure would make it easy to dismiss. When things get tough unprofitable programs get cut.

Very true, and I can not see it getting any better in the near future. The last two years have been pathetic. Chevy produces a COPO that is a turn key package ready to go racing, Ford has nothing but cars on paper, how sad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse Kershaw

Some of the things I saw after the Ford Performance restructuring that contributed to the group's dysfunction were in violation of the Ford code of ethics. If there was an investigation around such things it could be ongoing and witnesses to an investigation that are no longer with the company would be asked not to discuss it, employees cannot discuss it without jeopardizing their jobs.

That's such shame, a program that can make money for Ford has completely gone off the rails with incompetence and corruption.

Thanks Jesse, I'm glad we now know why this program has gone down hill. Maybe after it has bottomed out, Ford will clean house and put the right people back in place to right the ship

X-TECH MAN · 04-13-2019, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rognelson777

Look around where else the money is going. Ford is now sponsoring funny cars again, Tasca Wilkerson

Ford also has spent major money in nascar with 8 top level teams, Penske 3 teams with a wood bros/Menards satellite team. Stewart haas with 4 teams (ford was able to get them to change from chevy a couple of years ago).. Roush is still sponsored by ford, 2 teams, but roush has not done much lately

Toyota now only sponsoring 4 top teams in nascar and chevy has 8 teams, all chevys suffering right now though..

Final 4 teams last year were 2 fords and 2 toyotas.

Sponsoring ANY fuel class cars is a waste of money !

GUMP · 04-13-2019, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Sponsoring ANY fuel class cars is a waste of money !

Would you care to share the research that you used to come to this conclusion?

rawhide · 04-13-2019, 11:23 AM

Jesse is spot on about the disarray in the parts division of Ford Performance. I have been a Ford Motorsport/Racing/Performance warehouse distributor for over 25 years and the business model is the worst I have ever seen. Parts on the website without picture or prices is a constant problem. There seems to be one person in the shipping department who does not care how he or she packs orders as a lot of parts in small boxes will have the box crushed by the bigger heavier items. This a top down problem and can only be corrected from the top down. I have dealt with many different people at FP and I honestly have liked everyone of them. They are so nice that I have a difficult time raising any hell for fear of hurting their feelings. I even liked the Mopar racer, Jim's best buddy. I too would like for Jesse to return to his position at Ford but he would be a fool to do it without major changes to the business model.

best regards,
Roland

04-09-2019, 04:35 AM	#32
D.Johns Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Indiana Posts: 437 Likes: 15 Liked 18 Times in 6 Posts	Re: 2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ? You know what else happens in 7-10 year increments is US economic recessions. They tend to coincide with each other within a year +/-... which usually also coincides within 6-12 months of when we have an inverted yield curve... guess what happened a few weeks ago?? Default rates are way up on mortgage and automobile loans as another indicator with increasing days of inventory for both. Hang on as 2019 should be a brace for impact time period. A lot of people are already bracing for it and I recommend it to. Now as far as the involvement and leadership of the drag race program will always remain a challenge. It is a fine line between business and throwing good money after bad. The new drag race programs were initially designed to be profitable without the added marketing side as a bonus. It is a different environment we are living in today then we were in 08. A new business plan is needed to make the drag racing program viable. You also have to have someone that is very charismatic and be the driving force to push things through that you know is the right decision. It is certainly a job that not everyone is cut out for. The previous people on the Ford Performance group left some big shoes to fill. People that have moved on are really incredible people and they were the right people at the right time. Timing plays a large part how everyone view someone else as an success. Much like in sports people that were successful in the past environment wouldn’t be the superstars in the current environment. Same goes with today’s superstars not being able to have the same success in the past environment. There are things I have agreed with and things I’ve disagreed with of how certain companies conduct their business and their vision going forward. We shall see the results of the sum of their choices in the future and try to learn from them. Hopefully everyone is able to grow stronger and better from their plans going forward. Mike Delahanty I did not know very well and at first I was hesitant as to him being able to fill Brian Wolfe and Jesse Kershaw’s shoes. After having a conversation face to face with him I was able to breath a sigh of relief that there was still positive things happening within Ford Performance. __________________ 2014 Cobra Jet FS/XX #3345 STK/SS Like us on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel...25886327426822

04-09-2019, 12:59 PM	#34
rognelson777 Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 376 Likes: 20 Liked 135 Times in 74 Posts	Re: 2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ? Look around where else the money is going. Ford is now sponsoring funny cars again, Tasca Wilkerson Ford also has spent major money in nascar with 8 top level teams, Penske 3 teams with a wood bros/Menards satellite team. Stewart haas with 4 teams (ford was able to get them to change from chevy a couple of years ago).. Roush is still sponsored by ford, 2 teams, but roush has not done much lately Toyota now only sponsoring 4 top teams in nascar and chevy has 8 teams, all chevys suffering right now though.. Final 4 teams last year were 2 fords and 2 toyotas.

04-13-2019, 03:58 AM	#35
Jesse Kershaw Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 108 Likes: 6 Liked 122 Times in 11 Posts	Re: 2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ? I'm glad to see the concern over the program and thought I would share some of my thoughts as I'm in the unique position of being the only Cobra Jet program manager to delivery every single turn-key car to date, despite having been gone from Ford for more than 2 years. It was important to me while I was there for the car to be a value but also be profitable for the company. My belief is that if it's not profitable then changes in management structure would make it easy to dismiss. When things get tough unprofitable programs get cut. When Ford Racing became Ford Performance the groups changed drastically and became more fractured. What was SVT vehicles became FP Vehicles and the pro racing engineering portion of Ford Racing moved over there and reported up the mainstream engineering structure. THis brought enormous resources to race operations and you see the results especially in NASCAR. The marketing for FP vehicles and pro racing marketing split off and reports up the mainstream marketing channel. This left FP parts an orphan reporting up yet a different channel into a group called vehicle personalization with an entirely new management structure within the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). instead of 2 "smokestacks" of SVT and Ford Racing, Ford Performance was now a single name but actually 3 smokestacks with different objectives and goals. This was not a good thing for the parts program, and Cobra Jet that was developed within in. The first Cobra Jet released under this new structure was the 2016 model. For my part my influence over the program greatly diminished in this new group and in the new structure the engineering team was given largely free reign. The timing and costs doubled, and that's me being nice. Compared to prior model years for the amount of investment the 2016 should have been earth shattering. It was a battle to try and push the engineers to finish the car with the content racers wanted. I firmly believe had I not been there the 2016 model would have been far worse (I have specific examples) and would have been released even later than it was. I believe for the most I did the right things for the program at the expense of my "friendliness" with the engineering team because unfortunately that was the only way to get results. In late 2016 we did convince Dave Pericak to weigh in on the Cobra Jet program and we had several meetings with him on the 2018 Cobra Jet. The parts program was technically "dotted line" to Dave so while we didn't report to him directly he was a director and had say over Ford Performance content as the overall keeper of the brand. Brian Wolfe even came back for the meetings to help navigate getting the CJ program back on track both with customer content and profitability for the company. Overwhelmingly Pericak sided with the content decisions I was championing but he was knee deep in Ford GT and despite several meetings it was clear that Pericak wanted to do the right thing but didn't have the time to oversee the program and it was unlikely things would change for the better without his aircover. For my part around this time in fall 2016 I had decided to move on from Ford. One of the final straws to my decision was related to these CJ meetings where our business manager pulled me aside before walking in and threatened to fire me if I "embarrassed" him. He was telling me to lie to Pericak to save him and his cronies embarrassment over the poor financial performance and questionable decisions around the 2016 model. This was the second time he had made such threats and I'm ashamed to admit that while I didn't technically lie for him I was less forthcoming with my answers and lied by omission by not speaking up when I otherwise would have. For me this was the beginning of the end because I could no longer effectively and honestly do my job. (this business manager suddenly and mysteriously "retired" last year without a going away party/luncheon, etc.) I left Ford in February 2017 and the 2018 CJ had already missed several deadlines and targets but had a 99% complete product description and intent deck. A test car was slated to be out by summer and real cars delivered to the 2018 WInternationals. I had coordinated with the Ford California region and the Mustang marketing manager to make a big deal out of the whole thing. Obviously that did not happen. The 2019 CJ is drastically different than the product attributes agreed to in 2016. Some things like the new WHipple weren't in existence at the time, others are just different, and IMO worse. I am hesitant to criticize the car details because I want people to love their purchase and even if I know it could have been better I don't want to poison someone who loves their car. Some of the things I saw after the Ford Performance restructuring that contributed to the group's dysfunction were in violation of the Ford code of ethics. If there was an investigation around such things it could be ongoing and witnesses to an investigation that are no longer with the company would be asked not to discuss it, employees cannot discuss it without jeopardizing their jobs. I don;'t speak for Ford and I do wish the company and the racers the best but it's hard for me to imagine the program improving without a drastic change in how it's being a approached within the company. As of right now I do not believe a single 2019 CJ has been delivered. (the Skillman and Turk cars were delivered as semi-rollers and a pile of parts I am told). I know I have been criticized for not always "playing nice" within Ford but I stand by what I did because that's what it took to get things done. The new CJ is at least a year late, $25k more expensive, durability unknown, and after 3 years of development there's no way it's profitable. They missed the 50th anniversary model year completely, for comparison in 2008 we didn't start development until spring 2008 and still delivered cars before the end of the year so we could legitimately say it was a true 2008 model. The Showdown engine combo is strong right now largely thanks to Whipple but if there isn't someone constantly working with NHRA I question how long that will last. And with restructuring at Ford this is not the right time to have turmoil and money loss on a program, the CJ program hasn't brought in money for 3 years, and simultaneously had the longest and presumably most expensive development in it's history. IMO the best thing that could happen to the CJ program, and the best way to save it, would be if it is moved out of FP Parts and into the pro race operations group under Mark Rushbrook. I have no confidence in the team currently overseeing it, but for the customers and the program I'd be happy if they prove me wrong. __________________ Jesse Kershaw

04-13-2019, 06:45 AM	#36
Larry Hill Live Reporter Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Hickory, Ky Posts: 10,635 Likes: 1,929 Liked 10,695 Times in 2,227 Posts	Re: 2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ? As always, I feel your passion for the CJ Program. __________________ IHM Used Parts https://ihmusedparts.com 888-821-1817 Last edited by Larry Hill; 04-13-2019 at 06:52 PM.

04-13-2019, 11:23 AM	#40
rawhide Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 270 Likes: 1 Liked 7 Times in 5 Posts	Re: 2019 Cobra Jet program in jeopardy ? Jesse is spot on about the disarray in the parts division of Ford Performance. I have been a Ford Motorsport/Racing/Performance warehouse distributor for over 25 years and the business model is the worst I have ever seen. Parts on the website without picture or prices is a constant problem. There seems to be one person in the shipping department who does not care how he or she packs orders as a lot of parts in small boxes will have the box crushed by the bigger heavier items. This a top down problem and can only be corrected from the top down. I have dealt with many different people at FP and I honestly have liked everyone of them. They are so nice that I have a difficult time raising any hell for fear of hurting their feelings. I even liked the Mopar racer, Jim's best buddy. I too would like for Jesse to return to his position at Ford but he would be a fool to do it without major changes to the business model. best regards, Roland