2009 Ford Fiesta Crash Test

Here it is, the long-awaited Mission #2 video!

Notice: This is a Fiesta Movement Mission video, not an actual crash test. To see an actual Ford Fiesta crash test, click HERE.

Ford Safety Labs

Last week, Joel and I got to visit Ford HQ for a personal tour of the crash test facilities. It was an awesome experience. We had no idea the lengths Ford technicians go through to keep us safe. We often find ourselves taking the auto makers for granted, never wondering what goes on behind the scenes, content to purchase a vehicle because it looks pretty, then vowing to never buy a Ford/Honda/Chevy/etc. ever again when something goes wrong. (Which is usually because of something we did, though we'd never admit that, right?)

I know there's no such thing as the perfect car. I know things go wrong: breaks fail (my '88 Ford Taurus), transmissions die (my '87 Ford Escort), and interiors fall to pieces (my '97 Saturn). But we live in a time of mass consumerism -- when something breaks, we don't fix it, we go out and buy a new one. And even if we do try to fix something, many of us choose to save some coin and use a bit of duct tape. We're also inherently stupid beings. Some of us get behind the wheel intoxicated. Some of us eat with both hands, talk on our cell phones, and even text while driving. Others think it's okay to place kids on our laps while we drive... *cough* Britney *cough*

There's not much auto makers can do about these things, but they can try to make their vehicles safe for everyone, not just those of us obeying traffic laws. And that's precisely what Ford is doing. Their restraint technology has gone from "reactive" to "predictive," where vehicle sensors can detect whether or not you're going to be in an accident. We thought that was pretty amazing, and look forward to seeing other auto makers follow suit.

If you'd like to read more about our trip to Ford HQ, check out my blog post on PluggedInParents.com: Ford Motor Company: A Leader in Safety

And take a look at all our photos from the tour: Crash Test Lab Photos

Behind The Scenes

Here are a few photos from behind the scenes at the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at MIS last weekend. To view all the photos, check out our Behind The Scenes at MIS Flickr album.

We got to sit in on the driver/crew chief meeting. Very few people get to do this. Here you can see David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Jack Roush, and Carl Edwards.


Kid Rock was the Grand Marshal.


We even got to sit on top of the UPS Racing pit box.

The National Anthem on Pit Road

Joel and I had the honor of standing on pit road with the drivers and crews during the National Anthem at the MIS Lifelock 400 Sprint Cup race. We stood behind Jeff Gordan and in front of Carl Edwards. Check it out!

NASCAR Photos

Our weekend at the Michigan International Speedway with Ford Racing was amazing. We got to meet all the Roush-Fenway drivers and interview them about the Ford Fiesta, hang out in the garage and pit areas, sit on top of the UPS Racing pit box, and even sit in on the driver/crew chief meeting--things that most lifetime fans will never get the chance to do.

Ford had a win on Saturday with Colin Braun in the NASCAR Truck Series, and had two drivers place in the top 5 during the Sprint Cup race on Sunday.

Currently, our computer is filled with great footage and photographs. We hope to get quite a few videos out of the content and post them within a week or so. We have to work on our Mission #2 video first, but rest assured, you'll get a front row seat to our NASCAR experience.

For photos of all the drivers, check out our Flickr photostream.

With Tim D. from Ford Racing who made it all possible:


Mandy and her mom at the Ford Racing trailer:

Colin Braun Pit Stop

We were hanging out beside Colin Braun's pit crew -- here's a short video of one of his pit stops. He went on to win his first NASCAR Truck Series race. Go Ford Racing!

The Fiesta -- Roomy for the Big Man

Check out what a couple of our friends thought of the Fiesta's voice control.

2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Spotted this beauty in our parking lot over the weekend. Enjoy our semi-spy photos! Click on the image to see the entire photo gallery.

2008 Lotus and 1980s Ferrari

Spotted both of these on the same day.

Our backup camera that we keep in the work truck is kind of slow to respond, so that's why we call this photo: Almost 2008 Lotus Elise



1980s Ferrari