Pippa Mann’s #GetInvolved campaign goes live this morning

By May 1, 2015, 8:03 AM EDT
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We’ve written several times on MotorSportsTalk in the last year or so about Pippa Mann’s continued efforts, activation and dedication to partnering with Susan G. Komen in the fight against breast cancer and the commitment to raising awareness.

But with the calendar having flipped over to May – it’s now May 1 – today marks the beginning of arguably Mann’s most important campaign yet for Susan G. Komen, as she prepares for her second Indianapolis 500 with Komen and fourth overall (2011, 2013, 2014).

Mann has launched the #GetInvolved campaign, via Indiegogo, which will seek to raise $50,000 in support of breast cancer awareness this month. The link is live, at http://pippamann.com/getinvolved.

A year ago, Mann and her supporters raised just under $20,000, wiht the goal to more than double that this year.

While the $50,000 sounds like a lot, Mann makes an important point that all that takes is 5,000 people giving $10 apiece, and there you go.

And it’s already off to a great start, with those who have signed up for early access already having pledged more than $5,000 in the first eight hours of the campaign.

Via the Indiegogo site, any donors can secure a wealth of possible prizes – ranging from wristbands and koozies, garage tours, diecasts, signed caps and all the way up to race-worn gloves and/or firesuits, among other options.

Having already had a year to work with Komen – the idea for the “pink car,” the No. 63 Dale Coyne Racing Honda came about when Mann turned her traditionally red helmet pink – Mann noted that this year can give her supporters an even greater chance to contribute.

“The biggest thing for me personally, was I wanted to make the fundraising element much stronger this year,” Mann told MotorSportsTalk.

“I want to have stronger events for those living with breast cancer, and for survivors out at the race track as part of our program.

“Hopefully, through our partnership with Indiegogo, and the #GetInvolved campaign we will be on a course to accomplish goal one, and I am working with Susan G. Komen’s Central Indiana Affiliate towards goal two right now too.”

Mann also further explained the #GetInvolved hashtag.

“When we started talking about this campaign, and how to position it, the fact I had already been using that tag for things I’ve been getting involved with organically came up,” she said. “It seemed such a cool way to tie everything together.

“I wanted to be able to reward fans who joined the campaign this year, and most importantly, I wanted them to know that them getting involved themselves really is crucial to the success of the campaign. That’s where the tag came from, and why we wanted to use it for this campaign in support of Susan G. Komen.”

Ford unveils a new Mustang for 2024 Le Mans in motorsports ‘lifestyle brand’ retooling

Associated PressJun 9, 2023, 7:00 PM EDT
Ford Mustang Le Mans
Ford Performance
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LE MANS, France — Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.”

The Friday unveil of the new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car follows Ford’s announcement in February (and a ballyhooed test at Sebring in March) that it will return to Formula One in 2026 in partnership with reigning world champion Red Bull.

The Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, and is hopeful to earn an invitation to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The IMSA entries will be a factory Ford Performance program run by Multimatic, and a customer program in WEC with Proton Competition.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, also an amateur sports car racer, told The Associated Press the Mustang will be available to compete in various GT3 series across the globe to customer teams. But more important, Farley said, is the overall rebranding of Ford Performance – done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee – that is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

“It’s kind of like the company finding its own, and rediscovering its icons, and doubling down on them,” Farley told the AP. “And then this motorsports activity is getting serious about connecting enthusiast customers with those rediscovered icons. It’s a big switch for the company – this is really about building strong, iconic vehicles with enthusiasts at the center of our marketing.”

Ford last competed in sports car racing in 2019 as part of a three-year program with Chip Ganassi Racing. The team scored the class win at Le Mans in 2016 in a targeted performance aimed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford snapping Ferrari’s six-year winning streak.

Ford on Friday displayed a Mustang with a Lee-designed livery that showcased the cleaner, simplified look that will soon be featured on all its racing vehicles. The traditional blue oval with Ford Performance in white lettering underneath will now be branded simply FP.

The new mark will be used across car liveries, merchandise and apparel, display assets, parts and accessories and in advertising.

Farley cited Porsche as an automaker that has successfully figured out how to sell cars to consumers and race cars in various series around the world while creating a culture of brand enthusiasts. He believes Ford’s new direction will help the company sell street cars, race cars, boost interest in driving schools, and create a merchandise line that convinces consumers that a stalwart of American automakers is a hip, cool brand.

“We’re going to build a global motorsports business off road and on road,” Farley told the AP, adding that the design of the Mustang is “unapologetically American.”

He lauded the work of Lee, who is considered the top helmet designer among race car drivers.

“We’re in the first inning of a nine inning game, and going to Le Mans is really important,” Farley said. “But for customer cars, getting the graphics right, designing race cars that win at all different levels, and then designing a racing brand for Ford Performance that gets rebranded and elevated is super important.”

He said he’s kept a close eye on how Porsche and Aston Martin have built their motorsports businesses and said Ford will be better.

“We’re going in the exact same direction. We just want to be better than them, that’s all,” Farley said. “Second is the first loser.”

Farley, an avid amateur racer himself, did not travel to Le Mans for the announcement. The race that begins Saturday features an entry from NASCAR, and Ford is the reigning Cup Series champion with Joey Logano and Team Penske.

The NASCAR “Garage 56” entry is a collaboration between Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, and is being widely celebrated throughout the industry. Farley did feel left out of the party in France – a sentiment NASCAR tried to avoid by inviting many of its partners to attend the race so that it wouldn’t seem like a Chevrolet-only celebration.

“They’re going right and I’m going left – that NASCAR thing is a one-year deal, right? It’s Garage 56 and they can have their NASCAR party, but that’s a one-year party,” Farley said. “We won Le Mans outright four times, we won in the GT class, and we’re coming back with Mustang and it’s not a one-year deal.

“So they can get all excited about Garage 56. I almost see that as a marketing exercise for NASCAR, but for me, that’s a science project,” Farley continued. “I don’t live in a world of science projects. I live in the world of building a vital company that everyone is excited about. To do that, we’re not going to do a Garage 56 – I’ve got to beat Porsche and Aston Martin and Ferrari year after year after year.”

Ford’s announcement comes on the heels of General Motors changing its GT3 strategy next season and ending its factory Corvette program. GM, which unlike Ford competes in the IMSA Grand Touring Prototype division (with its Cadillac brand), will shift fully to a customer model for Corvettes in 2024 (with some factory support in the IMSA GTD Pro category).