Ford is marking 125 years of racing, a history that began before Ford Motor Company existed. On 10 October 1901, Henry Ford beat the heavily favoured Alexander Winton in a local race in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. According to Ford, the win helped him attract the investors behind his next company.
A race won before the company existed
Ford Racing’s 125-year history begins with a single event in 1901. Henry Ford entered a car he had built himself, known as “Sweepstakes”, in a local race in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, on 10 October 1901. His opponent was Alexander Winton, the clear favourite.
Ford says Henry Ford’s car produced 26 hp, nearly 50 hp less than Winton’s. Ford still won the 10-mile (16 km) event. The company’s archive credits the durability of the Sweepstakes engine for the result.
The timing mattered. An earlier attempt by Henry Ford to start a car company had failed. According to the company, the Grosse Pointe victory helped him find new investors for his next venture, which became Ford Motor Company in 1903. Ford calls it the biggest win in its history, even though it came before the company was founded.
Sweepstakes in the archive
The original Sweepstakes car could reach almost 60 mph (about 97 km/h), according to Ford. The car was later bought back and restored. Replicas were built for demonstration runs as part of Ford’s racing centenary in 2001.
The anniversary on track
Ford also took the anniversary onto the race track. At Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on 3 October, the factory Ford Racing Mustang GT3s wore a livery based on Sweepstakes. The company says it matched the colours to the original car and used them on the No. 64 and No. 65 Mustangs. The design includes the original Ford Motor Company logo and a reference to the 1903 founding. The drivers’ race suits were styled after a turn-of-the-century three-piece suit.
After dark, the cars displayed an illuminated “Glow Pony” emblem. Its centre showed the American flag in black and gold to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Many wins since 1901
Ford frames the anniversary as a look back at its best-known victories, and the history it can draw on is long. One example is the 1963 Daytona 500, won by DeWayne “Tiny” Lund in a Ford. Ford’s racing history now covers more than a century of competition on dirt, ovals, drag strips and road courses, all going back to the 1901 race.
What it means
For a brand that now races factory Mustangs in GT3 competition, the anniversary is a reminder that motorsport was there from the start of Ford. Without the 1901 result, Ford Motor Company might not exist.
Ford’s anniversary features on its 125 years of racing are published on its From the Road site.
Source: ford.com