One of Ford Motor Co.'s hottest cars, the Ford Fusion, debuted on NASCAR's biggest stage Sunday and the Dearborn-based automaker is hoping that the old motor sports marketing adage -- win on Sunday, sell on Monday -- pays off after eight Fusions debuted in the Daytona 500.
The vehicle has already been a success since it went on sale last fall, with solid reviews on its bold design, quality and drivability -- crucial for an automaker needing a hit car as consumers shy away from trucks.
But with this kind of exposure -- the Elliott Sadler-driven Fusion finished fourth -- selling the Fusion might get even easier for dealers nationwide.
In conjunction with the NASCAR race Sunday, Ford also kicked off a humorous new advertising campaign for the Fusion.
Ford drivers joke in the commercials that driving a new Fusion can help cure overactive adrenaline disorder, a made-up ailment for people who like a rush of excitement. The ads mock today's diagnosis-crazed society, calling the illness "OAD."
Ford is hoping that the NASCAR marketing helps emphasize the brand's American appeal and also helps it connect with more women, Anne Stevens, chief operating officer of Ford's Americas division, said during a weekend trip with journalists in connection with the race.
"I believe that vehicles are very passionate, emotional extensions of ourselves," said Stevens, a lifelong racing fan who also is involved in promoting female racecar drivers. "Some people choose to just get in a car, put in a key and drive. For me, racing is a very passionate sport."
There's a stockpile of data that show NASCAR marketing generally pays off for automakers. About 54% of Ford buyers are racing fans, and they tend to be more loyal as a group than other Ford customers. And Monday sales, she said, do get a boost from a Sunday win.
But about half of the estimated 75 million NASCAR fans are now women, with the popularity of the sport soaring. The midsize sedan segment of the car market, in which the Fusion is situated, also is a popular one with women.
So, putting Fusion into the NASCAR series is a natural way to connect with the emotions of customers, including women increasingly attracted to racing, said Stevens, who is helping lead the charge to turn around Ford's North American operations, which posted a $1.6-billion loss last year. The company still posted an overall profit of $2 billion.
Fusion, and its connection to NASCAR, may play a key role in helping lift the company's futures, even though the racing and retail versions of the Fusion are quite different.
The NASCAR version is a purpose-built racecar, with an 800-horsepower V8 engine and rear-wheel drive, while the production Fusions use four- or six-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive.
But getting consumers excited about the name can drive awareness and excitement, which can drive potential buyers into showrooms.
For now, the Fusion already seems to have hit a sweet spot in the market. After gas prices surged last summer, consumer taste started leaning toward cars over trucks, right as the Fusion hit the market.
Last month, consumers bought 9,999 Ford Fusions, a robust level that the company is hoping to grow even more.
This month, to keep up with demand, Ford added a third shift at the Hermosillo, Mexico, plant where the Fusion and its sister vehicles, the Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr, are also built on the same platform.
"Fusion is one of the hottest cars out there right now," Stevens said.
The NASCAR Fusion replaces the NASCAR Taurus, which was launched in 1998 and had a successful career with more than 100 race wins, three drivers championships and three manufacturers championship. Production of the Taurus is slated to end later this year.
Development of the NASCAR Fusion was a group effort that began in 2004 and was led by Ford's NASCAR field manager, former Roush Racing crew chief Ben Leslie, head aerodynamicist Bernie Marcus and Ford body specialist Jerry Painter.
Because the Fusion's distinct three-bar grille would have been difficult to simulate with the needed air-flow openings to cool the engine at race speeds on the Nextel Cup Fusion, Ford used a combination of photographic decals and specially prepared and colored duct tape to maintain the car's visual identity, while still allowing teams flexibility for air flow.
Four Fusions finished in the top 10 in last Sunday's Budweiser Shootout. On Thursday, the Fusions raced in both Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying races, which set the final starting lineup for the Daytona 500.
Dan Davis, director of Ford racing technology, went into Sunday's race with solid expectations for the Fusion's performance. He said the Fusion had good odds of winning.
"We have better than a 50-50 chance," he said.
While none of the eight Fusions won the race, three of them finished in the top 10.
General Motors Corp. was the top winner, though, with Jimmie Johnson and his Chevrolet Monte Carlo finishing first.
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