Thursday, January 27, 2011

FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION BRANDS TO SPONSOR TWO RACE CARS DURING 2011 NASCAR SPRINT CUP AND NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES

- Motorcraft, Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center and FordParts.com will appear on famed No. 21 Ford Fusion for 12 races beginning with Daytona 500 with rookie driver Trevor Bayne
- Motorcraft, Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center and FordParts.com will appear on Ford Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car with driver Bob Tasca III

DEARBORN, Mich., January 27, 2011 – For the fourth consecutive season, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) brands will be the featured livery in two of the country’s premier forms of auto racing – stock car and drag racing. FCSD brands Motorcraft, Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center and FordParts.com are partnering with the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and with Tasca Racing to compete in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

“This will be an exciting 2011 season as we continue our sponsorship of both Wood Brothers Racing and Tasca Racing,” said Brett Wheatley, Director of Marketing, Ford Customer Service Division. “The Wood Brothers have signed Trevor Bayne this season, so we’re thrilled to have Trevor represent our brands. Bob Tasca III is coming off his best season so far, so we are eager to get back to the drag strip and see where Bob can take the Motorcraft and Quick Lane colors this season. Both the Tasca and Wood families bring a rich and successful racing history with them and we are honored to be associated with such a tremendous group of people.”

Trevor Bayne made his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion at Texas Motor Speedway last fall. Bayne qualified on speed and finished in the 17th position. Bayne, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., has an impressive NASCAR record to date, in just 50 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts he has six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes and has led 133 laps. He finished seventh in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings last year, his first full-time season.

The Wood Brothers are acknowledged pioneers in the sport of stock-car racing, and have earned 96 wins, the second most in Ford Racing history, in 61 years of NASCAR competition.

Funny Car driver/owner Bob Tasca III, whose grandfather was instrumental in launching Ford’s return to professional drag racing more than four decades ago, returns to compete in his fourth season of NHRA Funny Car competition in 2011. Tasca, a native of Providence, RI, holds four drag racing licenses – Super Comp, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol Funny Car and Nitro Funny Car. In his young Funny Car career, Tasca has three career wins, two runner-up finishes, 10 semifinal appearances and 63 round wins.

Away from the race track, Tasca is Vice President of Tasca Ford, one of New England’s largest Ford dealerships. Tasca Ford is one of the largest Motorcraft parts dealers in the country. Tasca is also the owner/operator of two Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center franchises. Tasca Ford has been recognized annually as one of the country’s top-10 distributors of Ford Racing Performance Parts.

Motorcraft, a Ford Motor Company brand of automotive parts ranging from filters and spark plugs to engines and transmissions, will be the primary sponsor on the Wood Brothers No. 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Ford Fusion for 12 races (see schedule below), beginning in February at the Daytona 500 and culminating with the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers are operated by Ford and Lincoln dealers, but are equipped to provide services for all makes and models. Quick Lanes offer routine vehicle maintenance services such as oil and filter changes, and light repair services like brake repairs and tire replacements, all done by factory-trained technicians with no appointment necessary for customers. Ford Motor Company’s Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers are the fastest growing service brand in the country and is on track to reach 600 stores nationwide.

FordParts.com is the newest and most efficient way to order parts online for Ford and Lincoln Mercury vehicles. It takes the guesswork out of ordering more than 280,000 Genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts, with technical illustrations of more than 22,000 parts and assemblies. Log on to FordParts.com and have the convenience of ordering parts 24/7.

FCSD and its associated brands have won a place in the hearts and minds of racing fans everywhere since the mid-1980s, including sponsoring Ford Hall of Fame drag racer Bob Glidden, a 10-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, and NASCAR champions Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett.

In addition to serving as the primary vehicle sponsor for Wood Brothers Racing and Tasca Racing, FCSD brings a very aggressive brand awareness campaign with a significant trackside presence at selected NHRA and NASCAR events in the form of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience. The interactive display will let race fans connect with Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands and new Ford Motor Company branded vehicles in a unique way.

Ford Customer Service Division brands have visited victory lane and won championships in NASCAR, NHRA, SCORE, IMSA GT and GTO and SCCA Trans-Am throughout the years.

2011 Ford Customer Service Division NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule
February 20 - Daytona International Speedway
March 20 - Bristol Motor Speedway
May 29 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
June 19 - Michigan International Speedway
July 9 - Kentucky Speedway
July 31 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway
August 21 - Michigan International Speedway
September 4 - Atlanta Motor Speedway
September 18 - Chicagoland Speedway
October 9 - Kansas Speedway
November 6 - Texas Motor Speedway
November 20 - Homestead Miami Speedway

2011 Ford Customer Service Division NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Schedule
February 27 - Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
March 13 - Gainesville Raceway
April 3 - The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
April 17 - zMAX Dragway
May 1 - Houston Raceway Park
May 15 - Atlanta Dragway
May 22 - Heartland Park Topeka
June 5 - Old Bridge Township Raceway Park
June 19 - Bristol Dragway
June 26 - Summit Equipment Raceway Park
July 10 - Route 66 Raceway
July 24 - Bandimere Speedway
July 31 - Infineon Raceway
August 7 - Pacific Raceways
August 21 - Brainerd International Raceway
September 5 - Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
September 18 - zMAX Dragway
September 25 - Texas Motorplex
October 2 - Maple Grove Raceway
October 16 - Firebird Raceway
October 30 - The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
November 13 - Auto Club Raceway at Pomona


About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors, and automotive parts retailers and are backed by Ford Motor Company’s Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane’s nationwide network of 600 facilities, each providing the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.

About FordParts.com
FordParts.com allows repair shops, body shops, fleets and do-it-yourselfers to purchase online over 280,000 Genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts quickly and easily. As well as the convenience of ordering parts online 24/7, FordParts.com provides full line catalogs with VIN look-up, parts pricing, inventory availability, FedEx over-night shipping, and technical illustrations of over 22,000 parts and assemblies. For more information, visit www.fordparts.com.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.