SUMMARY

• Ford Performance showcases the technology, tools, and team of engineers that helped design and optimize the Ford Focus RS RX driven by Ken Block and Andreas Bakkerud in the FIA World Rallycross series.
• The videos focus on four different elements of the race car: the wing, suspension, driveshaft, and cockpit.  VIDEOS HERE: http://bit.ly/2l4vBE9
• Due to the nature of the sport, designing the ultimate rallycross car is a unique challenge.  Utilizing Ford’s extensive technological and engineering prowess, the team was able to conceptualize and manufacture a competitive vehicle in its first season as a factory-backed team.  In 2016, Ken Block and Andreas Bakkerud earned a combined three wins and seven podium finishes in twelve rounds.

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND
A talented team, comprised of members from the Ford Performance, M-Sport, and Hoonigan Racing Division organizations, designed and manufactured the Ford Focus RS RX race cars in less than nine months.  This accomplishment in a tight timeframe was made possible by Ford Performance’s advanced technological tools and talented engineers.

DETAILS
In January 2016, Ford Performance announced its factory backing of Hoonigan Racing Division in the FIA World Rallycross series, and released the Ford Focus RS RX.  A team of Ford engineers worked to optimize various elements of the vehicle’s design: the wing, suspension, driveshaft, and cockpit.

• Wing: More than 100 iterations were tested using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software before the optimum design was determined for the Ford Focus RS RX wing.
• Suspension: Ford Performance tested the suspension of the Ford Focus RS RX utilizing a K & C (Kinematics and Compliance) rig.  This tool is the same one that is used for production vehicles, and gathers data to help engineers make decisions on suspension changes for the car.
• Driveshaft: Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Sadev and the Ford Performance team created a “heat map” of the potential stresses on the driveshaft of the vehicle to determine the best design.
• Cockpit: Drawing on decades of racing experience between Ford Performance, M-Sport, and Hoonigan Racing Division, personalized cockpits were created for both Ken Block and Andreas Bakkerud based on their personal preferences with the goal of reducing shift time and increasing speed.