Bill Pierre Ford

Ford Motor Company has partnered with Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, to research linking GPS satellites with automobiles, allowing drivers to use the system for something other than navigation. Researchers believe that GPS satellites can precisely monitor a car’s position and movement, and possibly provide an early warning of an imminent rollover or spinout. Accordingly, the car’s stability system could then be activated.

Although it has only been tested in virtual reality, Ford believes it has already achieved breakthroughs in developing algorithms that combine signals from sensors on the car with information relayed from the GPS network. Ford plans on detailing its findings at an electronics engineering conference this week, and will move the project into a physical prototype phase later this year.

Stay tuned for more info on this amazing story!

In July, Ford announced that it would bring the Ford Mustang back to NASCAR in July 2010 when a limited number of Mustangs will race at the Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The Roush Fenway Racing and Con-way Freight Mustang was officially unveiled yesterday.

While the Mustang is no stranger to the track, competing in various drift events  — the Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series, and the SCCA World Challenge Series to name a few — but the famous Ford Mustang has been absent from stock car racing since 1969. Next July will be the first time since then that the Mustang will hit the oval track.

“This truly marks the start of the next era of Mustang Racing. We fully expect this Mustang, with drivers like Colin Braun behind the wheel, to start to enjoy the kind of success so many other Mustang racing programs have enjoyed throughout the last four decades,” said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports.

“Mustang is a proud and historic brand for Ford. This is a car born to race, and NASCAR is the next logical step for its racing pedigree.”

Even though the Mustang is making a return to NASCAR, the car will only be raced in limited numbers, meaning there will be two different Ford vehicles on the track next season. The very heavily modified Ford Fusion stock cars will still see track time in the Nationwide Series. Keep your eyes peeled next season when the Ford Mustang finally gets back to the stock car circuit.