The USAC Ford Focus Series made its debut with the USAC Western States Midgets at Bakersfield Speedway's fast 11/43-mile dirt oval on Saturday, March 9. The series will continue to race primarily on the West Coast in 2002, making its way to the Midwest by 2003.
| 2002 RACING SCHEDULE |
| DATE | LOCATION | COMPANION SERIES |
| March 9 | Bakersfield Speedway (1/3-mile dirt) | USAC Midgets |
| March 30 | El Cajon Speedway (1/3-mile paved) | USAC Sprint Cars |
| April 13 | Perris Auto Speedway (½ -mile dirt) | SCRA Sprint Cars |
| April 20 | Irwindale Speedway (1/3-mile paved) | Auto Club Late Models |
| April 27 | Bakersfield Speedway | USAC Midgets |
| May 18 | San Bernadino Speedway (paved) | TBA |
| June 1 | Santa Maria Speedway (1/3-mile dirt) | USAC Midgets |
| June 8 | Bakersfield Speedway | USAC Midgets |
| June 22 | San Bernadino Speedway | TBA |
| July 6 | Irwindale Speedway | TBA |
| July 13 | Perris Auto Speedway | SCRA Sprint Cars |
| August 10 | Perris Auto Speedway | USAC Midgets |
| August 24 | Santa Maria Speedway | USAC Midgets |
| August 31 | Irwindale Speedway | TBA |
| September 7 | Irwindale Speedway | TBA |
| September 14 | Bakersfield Speedway | USAC Midgets |
| October 12 | El Cajon Speedway | USAC Sprint Cars |
| October 19 | Irwindale Speedway | USAC Midgets & Sprints |
| November 2 | Bakersfield Speedway | USAC Midgets |
| November 28 | Irwindale Speedway | USAC Midgets & Sprints |
| November 23 | TBD | USAC Midgets & Sprints |
Engine SpecsThe engine block used in the USAC Ford Focus Series is a 2.0-liter Ford "ZETEC" ZX3. It features dual overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder. The Ford Zetec engine remains internally stock and is sealed to prevent modifications or tampering.
The valvetrain is of the new "100,000 mile" self-adjusting type, and along with the rest of the internal components, should last at least a full season with no maintenance required.
Although no access is permitted to the engine's internal components, the fuel, ignition and lubrication systems are available to competitors for maintenance and calibration. In this way, a competitor is encouraged to become familiar with the typical upkeep and tuning issues one would expect to encounter in any USAC division.
Although the engine is "factory stock" internally, significant power gains have been realized through the development of high-performance induction, exhaust and ignition systems. In addition, more favorable power characteristics have been derived from the adaptation of a lightweight, aluminum flywheel. The end result of this development work has been an overall gain of almost 55 hp-from 120 to 174. In addition, maximum torque output has been improved to 167 lb/ft.