Ford Performance Boss Dave Pericak Leaving Role

One of the leaders behind the Ford GT’s development is set to leave the branch after December 1.

byCaleb Jacobs|
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Dave Pericak, a key figure in the world of Ford Performance, revealed that he will be leaving the division after November. Pericak was a major contributor to the automaker's Performance initiative starting in 2013, lending expertise to the development of the Ford Raptor, Shelby GT350, Focus RS, and the latest Ford GT supercar

Autosport announced the executive's decision in a recent report where he explained he will stay with Ford and oversee engineering of the brand's unibody models. Taking his place in the motorsport division will be Mark Rushbrook while Hermann Salenbauch will take charge of Performance's road car efforts.

"All the stuff we've been doing for the past three years has been pretty impressive, I think, personally, and I'm proud of it," Pericak told Autosport. "Now, it's time for me to go and take this global approach and bring it to the mainstream, where we can start affecting the way that we do production cars and trucks on a larger scale."

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One of Pericak's most notable achievements was winning the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Ford GT. Fifty years after the Detroit automaker's first triumph over Ferrari at the fabled French endurance race, he and his team were able to develop and build a car that replicated the same results in its Le Mans debut. 

He will continue to head-up Ford's World Endurance Championship program through the year as well as its NASCAR efforts where the company currently has a shot at the title with Team Penske and star driver Brad Keselowski

"We're laser-focused on the championship," Pericak said. "We have a strategy in place and we're working that strategy.

"I won't even be slightly distracted until the end of this season."

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