DEARBORN, Mich. – Edsel B. Ford II has crossed paths with many people during his lifetime, including celebrities, politicians and corporate heavyweights.
But when he is presented the Landmark Award during the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction ceremony Friday night, he’ll be in front of a group he loves more than anything — the racing community.
“Racing has always been an important part of Ford Motor Company’s heritage but it has been Edsel’s personal, lifelong passion that has been so instrumental in the success of NASCAR. Whether he is interacting with the drivers, the teams, the racing community or our employees, he makes everyone feel like a member of the Ford family,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “There is no one more deserving of this award and I am thrilled to see Edsel recognized for his dedication and contributions to NASCAR.”
For anyone who knows Edsel Ford it’s no great secret how much auto racing means to him. Ever since going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the age of 17 with his father, former Ford Motor Company chairman and CEO Henry Ford II, and seeing Ford produce a 1-2-3 sweep in 1966, he has been infatuated with motorsports and the people who do it for a living.
That passion has been seen in a number of different ways and has had a direct impact on the sport.
“I don’t think people really realize how much Edsel has done for NASCAR,” said Eddie Wood, who has known Ford most of his adult life while helping run Wood Brothers Racing. “I credit him with bringing the factories back into NASCAR because prior to the early eighties they weren’t in it. The manufacturers dropped out in the seventies because of the energy crisis, but he brought Ford Motorsports back in 1982 with the new Thunderbird and that started a movement where the other OEM’s followed.
“Edsel was part of the reason this sport grew, and I don’t think we would be where we are today if that hadn’t happened,” continued Wood. “He was the leader of it all because I think he believed in the ‘Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday’ philosophy and still does today.”
While his contributions to the sport as a whole have been notable, it’s what he’s done within Ford to bolster the company’s overall success in NASCAR that stands out most.
“It was Edsel’s idea to have my dad start his race team and to keep Dale Jarrett in the car after the accidents involving Davey (Allison) and Ernie (Irvan),” said Roush Yates Engines CEO Doug Yates, son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Robert Yates. “And he was also the driving force behind the Ford Quality Care sponsorship that our team had from 1996-2000 with Dale and Robert Yates Racing.
“Having him sit at the head table with all of us to celebrate our championship in 1999 is my favorite banquet memory because without Edsel we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be able to accomplish those great things,” added Yates. “The credit in large part goes to him.”
Doug Yates also cited Ford as an instrumental part in bringing Robert Yates and Jack Roush together in 2004 to form what is now known as Roush Yates Engines. Since joining forces, the operation has produced 144 race wins and two championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, as well as a successful Ford sports car engine program that helped bring the company its Le Mans victory in 2016.
“That was a critical moment for our company, our family, and myself, but without his influence there may not be a Roush Yates,” said Doug Yates. “I appreciate him for personally getting involved and all the things he did in laying the groundwork to make that become a reality.”
For Roush, it was nothing new to see Ford step in and exert his influence during that time because he had seen it happen many times before.
“When I started my road racing program he encouraged Lincoln-Mercury to use some of their marketing dollars to sponsor me and get me going,” recalled Roush, who rewarded that faith by winning manufacturers’ championships in 1984 and 1985 and eventually two dozen road racing championships in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and International Motor Sports Ass’n combined. “He put down the seed corn to get us going, and I’m sure I would not have gotten involved in road racing in the eighties, with Zakspeed initially, had he not had his fingerprints on the throttle.”
As if all of that wasn’t enough, Ford has also served the sport as a member of the Board of Directors of International Speedway Corp., which merged last fall with NASCAR, and has been Ford’s voting representative ever since the NASCAR Hall of Fame began inducting members in 2010.
“Over the course of Ford’s incredible history in NASCAR, Edsel has been our North Star, our ambassador,” said Jim Farley, president, New Businesses, Technology & Strategy, Ford Motor Company. “He has never wavered for his support of the NASCAR family, fans, Ford engineers, drivers, officials, track owners and promoters. His contributions and passion for this iconic American sport has greatly influenced Ford’s commitment to performance on and off the track.”
But what makes Ford so endearing to those who travel 38 weekends a year isn’t the fact that he’s the great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, it’s his personable nature and genuine respect for what they do.
When he goes to the race track, you won’t find him walking through the garage area with a big entourage in tow. Instead, you’ll see Ford going hauler to hauler engaging in conversation with drivers, crew chiefs, owners, and crew members. In a sport where speed is the most important element of all, Ford is in no hurry when making his rounds because he enjoys just being one of the guys.