Ford is renaming its performance division in a bid to strengthen the link between its motorsports programs and road-going vehicles. The former Ford Performance division will now operate under the banner of Ford Racing, a move executives say reflects a deeper focus on the shared DNA between track and street.
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“This is not a marketing exercise,” said Will Ford, general manager of the newly renamed division. “We want fans, enthusiasts, and customers to understand that our racing efforts directly influence the vehicles they can drive every day.”
The rebrand does not alter the scope of the group’s responsibilities. Ford Racing will continue to oversee the company’s global motorsports programs—from NASCAR and Formula Drift to off-road events like the Baja 1000—while also guiding the development of high-performance road models, including the Mustang Dark Horse, Raptor lineup, and Ford GT successor projects.
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By explicitly tying racing to production models, Ford aims to highlight how technologies developed under extreme conditions translate into street-legal innovation. Lessons learned in durability, aerodynamics, and hybrid powertrains on the track have increasingly informed road cars, a trend Ford wants to make clearer to buyers.
The move also comes at a time when automakers are navigating the shift to electrification while preserving enthusiast appeal. Ford has already made headlines with the Mustang Mach-E 1400 prototype, an all-electric drift machine developed in collaboration with Vaughn Gittin Jr. The company suggests that similar crossover projects will only grow under the Ford Racing identity.
While the name change may appear cosmetic on the surface, Ford insists the rebrand is intended to signal a stronger commitment to innovation that starts on the track and ends in the showroom.
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