The propaganda-laced mass-media message since the 2008 elections has been that Corporate America was a heartbeat away from a heartbeat. But it definitely has a pulse, if drag racing is any kind of barometer. Ask John Force.
 
His new five-year contract extension with Ford signals faith in the future.
 
For himself, the Funny Car points leader said, "it just gives you the financial security for the future in this economy. The five-year deal with Ford made me know all of the work in the gym, eating right, taking out the party life, that I changed all of that and I can still compete." He said Ford executives believe feel they can sell their products "through Robert Hight, myself and Ashley Force [Hood] and the other Ford teams. I'm excited to be a part of that.

'I CAN'T THINK WITHOUT THINKING THE DREAM' - John Force

The propaganda-laced mass-media message since the 2008 elections has been that Corporate America was a heartbeat away from a heartbeat. But it definitely has a pulse, if drag racing is any kind of barometer. Ask John Force.
 
His new five-year contract extension with Ford signals faith in the future.
 
For himself, the Funny Car points leader said, "it just gives you the financial security for the future in this economy. The five-year deal with Ford made me know all of the work in the gym, eating right, taking out the party life, that I changed all of that and I can still compete." He said Ford executives believe feel they can sell their products "through Robert Hight, myself and Ashley Force [Hood] and the other Ford teams. I'm excited to be a part of that.
 
"It lets us know that we have the right partners," he said. "Our sponsors are excited to be with Ford, because they know that where they give us financial support, Ford Motor Company also gives us the engineering technology that they know will save lives through our [Eric Medlen] project here in Indy and will go into the cars that they put on the street."
 
More significant, though, is Ford's show of strength -- as the leader among automakers, as solvent enough to invest in drag racing, and as inspiration.
 
Ford's pre-recession strategy has proven more effective than those of its rivals, for it has been able to take advantage of its stable position. While GM retreated from racing and Chrysler/Mopar hung in limbo, Ford increased its participation in motorsports.
 
"Ford had a game plan years ago," Force said after his second victory in four races this season. "They have a business plan, and what they told us they were going to do four or five years ago, we all worked with them and it's happening. Ford Motor Company is going to make it through this tough time, and we're going to be part of that team. And I'm proud of that."
 
Being associated with Ford goes deeper than receiving money to go racing. Operating from his declaration that "I can't think without thinking the dream," Force takes joy in the crafting, the anticipation, the process.
 
Said Force of Ford, "They're thinkers, and I'm liking that. I want to be a part of that think tank, and we can continue to grow -- not only to win championships, but to keep our drivers safe. That's the most important thing."
 
The "One Ford" campaign, he indicated, is a continuation of the automaker's approach in NASCAR with such team owners as Richard Petty, Jack Roush, and Robert Yates. "Now we're going to work together (in NHRA), and we should because of the technology and the engineering studies could help out Ford Motor Company and their people. They spend the money to pay for that to give us a chance to build better stuff and have better performance."
 
Force's performance in the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang has led the way in the Funny Car class in 2010. At Charlotte late last month, he recorded his 128th victory, edging daughter Ashley in her Mustang. Teammate Robert Hight drove the Auto Club Mustang to the No. 1 qualifying position and set the track record for both elapsed time and speed.
 
 

 
The drag-racing world got used to John Force domination for a decade and more. This comeback, just sprouting so far, nevertheless looks serious. And that's thanks to a curious combination of coalition-building, unflinching dedication, and innovative technology.
 
"What I really like is that our 2010 Ford Mustang is really showing some aerodynamic advantages," Hight said. "Ashley [Force Hood] and John [Force] both ran 316 miles an hour, and I'm not sure you could have done that with the old body. The thing with Ford and their aerodynamic staff and all of their engineering, we're definitely moving forward in drag racing."
 
Echoed Force, "Growth is starting here at John Force Racing, and we are going to build better race cars at a better price. I'm going to make the BOSS 500 motor available, and with the help of Ford we are going to keep this ship afloat."
 
Keeping his own ship afloat was as much a concern as helping Ford survive. Although Ford isn't flush with cash yet, its survival has served as motivation for Force.
 
"With budget cuts and everything, I just couldn't go on. But through educating my own people we made it work," Force said. "We all agreed on cuts, and we did what it takes to cut cost. We still deliver safety and performance. If Ford can do it and come back in this economy without a bailout, then John Force can do it.
 
"It really is working and as we go forward, working with [Bob] Tasca and [Tim] Wilkerson and any other Fords that come along, we will be selling parts to these people and exchanging data," he said, quick to add that "on race day we race. We put on a show for the fans and we race to win. We have to share the technology because Ford can't afford to give it to each of us separately."
 
 

 
Force has absorbed some powerful reading material in Seth Godin's bestseller "Linchpin." This call to boldness in leadership, blended with the knowledge he has gained from his own motivational research, is helping him keep up his momentum, both on the racetrack and in the office.
 
"I know what I can do in the seat of that car," Force said. However, he said, "I needed to get a race car back."
 
So he asked questions, listened,  observed, and read.
 
"I learned a lot watching the news and talked to people that dealt with putting companies back together in this economy. I read a book about what you need to do to stay in the game, mentally. It is about marathon runners and how they get through the pain and move on. I really studied this book. I got there and then I was hit with the economy and everything," Force said.
 
"Now I am reading this book called Linchpin, and it talks about Henry Ford and talks about how you lead. It talked about [Ford President and CEO Alan] Mulally and when he came to Ford. He talked to his people about change, and instead of just saying, 'Make them work harder,' he figured out what to do to be cost-effective."
 
Then he referred to Ford Vice-Presidents Mark Fields (Ford Executive V.P. and President of The Americas), Jim Farley (Group V.P., Marketing and Communications), and Ken Czubay (V.P., U.S. Sales and Marketing). Said Force, "I took that stuff from him [Mulally] and Fields and Farley and  Czubay and took it to my race team."
 
John Force Racing's five-year deal with Ford, the boss said, "gives me security so we can make progress in our motor program. It's a challenging program, and the employees in the Eric Medlen Project know where we're going to go in the future."
 
 

 
It appears to be the catalyst, too, for renewals from other sponsors, interest from fresh partners, and a sense of recommitment to safety initiatives.
 
"The other sponsors are all pushing our contracts with extensions. We're doing that right now, and it will get done soon, so I'm excited about that," Force said.
 
He still has goals and new projects. "I met with the mayor of Brownsburg," he said as March closed, "because I am bringing new businesses in here [to his Indiana headquarters]. I have 160,000 square feet here in Indy. I am down here because I am hiring more people.
 
"I didn't want to move until I knew where my contract stood," he said about activating his latest ideas. "I know where I am with Auto Club. Castrol says we are going to talk in the next couple weeks. I have two years left with Castrol, but we want to go after the all-time record that [Kenny] Bernstein holds with Budweiser and see if we can make 30 years into 31."
 
He said, "I didn't want to move if I wasn't going to be with Ford. Working with Bobby Tasca and [Tim] Wilkerson will be great. I am really excited, because it is about growth. In the last year and a half, we were in a stall. And I can't think without thinking the dream. When they park the dream, I am history."
 
So Force and Ford together will emerge from the economic chaos strong, stronger. No one is parking John Force's dream. Making history, not being history, is John Force's continuing legacy.