No doubt most people have had some experience at company picnics – you know, where co-workers get a chance to mingle outside for a day at the park? Fun activities usually center on some Frisbee throwing, an egg-toss contest, three-legged sack races or a softball game – plus plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. But when Ford Special Vehicle Team (SVT) engineers held their summer outing this year, there were only two things on the agenda: fast cars and a racetrack. Of course, SVT is not your typical group of individuals. (After all, SVT was the engineering force behind Ford's flagship performance car: the supercharged, 500-horsepower Shelby GT500 – the most powerful factory Mustang ever produced.) So when SVT got together this summer for a staff "picnic," the main objective was not showcasing some sort of athletic ability or finding out how much food one can fit on a paper plate – but rather how well and fast they can drive on the track. That's why SVT brought out some of the hottest cars in the Ford test fleet for a day full of track time and bench racing as an off-site team-building exercise. In addition to the core SVT project team, group leaders Keri Baldori and Jamal Hameedi invited employees from suppliers such as Roush Engineering and Lotus Cars, Ltd. to join in.
The day started with some evaluation drives around suburban Detroit's Waterford Hills Raceway in some of SVT's past production vehicles, like the SVT Focus, F-150 Lightning and SVT Mustang Cobra. But the most popular car in the lineup was a yellow Ford GT. The SVT "test fleet" Ford GT features adjustable shocks as well as a modified supercharger pulley that pushes engine output to around 600 horsepower! For some of the participants, it was their first chance to drive a Ford GT – and to be able to pilot a world-class supercar like the GT on a racetrack is indeed a rare treat. Thoughts of Dan Gurney and A.J Foyt at LeMans came to mind after getting behind the wheel of this machine and taking on the challenges of the Waterford Hills track.
After working through a series of morning drive evaluations in a wide variety of performance vehicles, lunch was served and the group got the chance to sit down and share their impressions of all the different cars. After the lunch break, engineers got back out onto the track to give hot laps to some of the SVT guests – and that's when visitors were really able to experience what was so special about these cars. Among the "hot-ticket" rides to get in line for was the 600-horsepower Ford Racing "Aluminator" equipped Shelby GT500 driven by SVT Engineer Enzo Campagnolo. Enzo had the line on this tight track down pat, and knew exactly how to set-up the car for the corners by using both the brake and the gas pedal. It was amazing to experience just what the GT500 could do in the hands of a skilled diver!
Of course, the other ride well worth waiting in line for was the SVT-tweaked Ford GT. Gene Martindale, a Ford GT developmental engineer, was determined to give his passengers the hot lap of their lives in that GT! Two things you appreciate about the Ford GT when it is driven by a pro: 1.) its unbelievable power, and 2.) it's amazing stopping ability. There's nothing quite like rocketing around a track with the Ford GT's engine at full song – or to feel the eye-popping negative g's when the bakes are stabbed heading into a corner. It's still amazing that a major mainstream automaker like Ford Motor Company ever produced a high performance supercar like the Ford GT. There is really nothing else quite like it in the world.
When everyone got their fill of track time and performance car talk on this sunny late-summer's day, it was finally time to pack up the cars and head back to Dearborn. Having an SVT track outing instead of a traditional team-building picnic turned out to be a great idea. Because instead of coming home with only the typical sunburn and a tummy ache, everyone in this group came away with more SVT knowledge and a deeper understanding of the past, present and future of Ford performance.