From Associated Press via MEMA Industry News

Amid distressing news of layoffs, buyouts and factory closings, the Ford brand also is taking hits at the racetrack these days. Even longtime Ford driver Mark Martin is ditching the Dearborn , MI , company to drive a Chevrolet in 2007.

That leaves the Ford teams in NASCAR — already fewer than the dominating Chevrolet teams — with precious few big names and lots of question marks just as yet another manufacturer, Toyota, is joining the competition for wins, championships — and drivers.

"I know people are going to ask about Ford losing another marquee driver to a competitor," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "All I can say is that every situation is different.

"We feel we support our teams as well as any other manufacturer and that our business model has worked as far as winning championships and being competitive. We don’t like it when drivers leave, especially when they’re the quality of Mark. But the climate of NASCAR is changing, and we’ve, unfortunately, felt the brunt of it this season."

The driver drain has been going on longer than that for Ford.

In 2003, Kasey Kahne, who was being groomed by Davis and Ford for big things, suddenly left the fold, signing with Ray Evernham’s Dodge team and an immediate promotion to Nextel Cup racing. Ford sued for breach of contract, but the case eventually was thrown out of court, and Kahne has gone on to become a Cup star.

Ford also had a teenage Kyle Busch in its development program before he was stolen away by Rick Hendrick’s Chevrolet team. Busch is now a budding star, joining Kahne in reaching this year’s 10-man Chase for the Nextel Cup championship.

Busch’s older brother, Kurt, stuck with Ford and gave that company and team owner Jack Roush a second straight Cup title (following Matt Kenseth) in 2004. But the elder Busch jumped to Roger Penske’s Dodge team at the end of the 2005 season, replacing retired star Rusty Wallace.

Roush, who had all five drivers reach the Chase a year ago, has had a so-so season in 2006, with only two of his drivers reaching NASCAR’s playoffs.

It’s still an all-star lineup, with Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray — Kurt Busch’s replacement — set to return in 2007. Roush plans to add a rookie to that group, replacing Martin in the No. 6 Ford.

Difficulties grow

Meanwhile, Robert Yates Racing, Ford’s other Cup flagship operation, has had a difficult season, too.

The team has been struggling to be competitive for several years, and now longtime star and former champion Dale Jarrett has announced he will be leaving RYR at the end of the season to join Michael Waltrip’s new Toyota team. His teammate, Elliott Sadler, asked to be let out of his contract and moved on to Evernham’s team in August, leaving his seat to rookie David Gilliland.

Jarrett’s biggest sponsor, UPS, will leave with the driver, and Yates has not yet found a replacement for the sponsor or filled the seat in Jarrett’s No. 88 Fusion for next season.

All the big name Cup drivers already are under contract for 2007.

Although Jarrett, who has struggled in recent seasons, repeatedly has said he believes the Yates team will rebound, he said individuals have to do what is best for them.

"I knew in my case I was looking for opportunities beyond driving, and Toyota provided that, and Ford wasn’t willing to do that," Jarrett said.

"We’ve heard that word ‘loyalty’ many times, and I don’t think you can say we both weren’t loyal. I was there 12 years, and Mark (Martin) was there probably closer to 20, but I think we’ve been very loyal.

"They have to understand that when opportunities knock and you can’t match them, we have to be ready to make that move."

‘They knew it was coming’

Under the circumstances, Jarrett said Ford should not have been surprised by the moves, even though both he and Martin have long-term associations with the brand and also own Ford dealerships.

"Well, they knew it was coming, with Mark and I both getting up in age," Jarrett said.

"It wasn’t going to be long. But I certainly think they probably thought and assumed — and there’s that word that you have to be careful with — but they assumed that Mark and I were just going to finish out our years with Ford."

Meanwhile, Davis remains optimistic.

"We’re going to be fine," the Ford auto racing boss said.

"Racing has been a big part of Ford’s overall marketing program for a long time, and we expect to be here for a long time in the future.

"Our teams have a good foundation, and we have some very good young drivers moving up through our system.

"It’s just going to take some time."