Automotive Performance Brands - Ford Wins NHRA Manufacturers Cup

HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 15, 2011: It’s official: Ford Motor Company has won the 2011 NHRA Manufacturers Cup award – its first since 1982 and the second earned by Ford’s iconic Mustang model in a major racing series this year.

Jamie Allison, director of Ford Racing, accepted the award during the NHRA Full Throttle Series banquet in Hollywood, Calif. on Monday, once the final points were tallied.

This is Ford’s fourth NHRA Manufacturers Cup award. Besides 1982, the Blue Oval also brought home the title in 1964 and 1965.

“This is a special honor to accept in a special year at Ford,” Allison said. “The Manufacturers Cup is another honor in what has been a truly remarkable year at Ford Racing.”

In 2011, Ford Racing has been celebrating its 110th anniversary. On Oct. 10, 1901, Henry Ford won his first – and only – race, upsetting the most famous racer in the country. Because of that victory, he was able to attract the investors who helped him start Ford Motor Company less than two years later.