Television personality Jay Leno and Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley will headline the 2025 Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week Speaker Series, organizers announced Tuesday.
The seminars will run Oct. 3-4 at the historic Casino Theater on the International Tennis Hall of Fame grounds, featuring automotive industry leaders and celebrities discussing car culture and motorsports.
The marquee event, “Ford-Total Performance Returns,” scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4 from 4-5 p.m., will be hosted by Leno and feature Farley alongside Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance, and Bob Tasca III, a nitro funny car driver from the legendary Tasca racing family.
The seminar will examine Ford’s 1960s “Total Performance” campaign and the company’s current motorsports programs spanning NHRA, NASCAR, World Endurance Championship and Formula 1.
“This seminar will compare and contrast the ‘Total Performance’ campaign, rolled out across the world by the Ford Motor Company in the 1960s with Ford’s exciting new program of racing across all series,” according to event organizers.
Other notable speakers include IndyCar team principal Tony Kanaan, NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham, Porsche enthusiast Magnus Walker and General Motors design executive Michael Simcoe.
The seminar lineup includes:
Oct. 3
- 2:30 p.m.: “Form & Function – Designing for Purpose, on the Road & Wrist” featuring luxury watch and automotive design experts
- 4:30 p.m.: “Cars and the Law” with automotive attorney John Draneas and Leno
Oct. 4
- 12:30 p.m.: “Form & Function – To Mod or not to Mod” with Walker, automotive consultant Steve Serio and Leno
- 2:30 p.m.: “Behind the Driver – Running a Winning Race Team” with Kanaan and Evernham
- 4 p.m.: Ford motorsports seminar
The seminars are part of the broader Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week running Oct. 2-5, which culminates with the Concours d’Elegance showcase of classic and modern vehicles.
All events are sponsored by Private Client Select Insurance Services. The Casino Theater venue adds historical significance to the automotive celebration in one of New England’s most prestigious settings.
For more details and information, visit https://www.audrainconcours.com/.
