Ford Racing Teams Keep Company's Quality, Green, Safe and 'Smart' Technology Stories...

Ford Racing Teams Keep Company's Quality, Green, Safe and 'Smart' Technology
Stories on Track
- Ford launched its new "Drive one" communications platform Tuesday on
American Idol, with inside stories about the company's quest to win customers
on the strength of its vehicle quality, fuel economy, safety advances and
smart technology.

DEARBORN, Mich., April 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- This weekend, racing
fans across the country will see and hear many of Ford Racing's top stars
talking about "Drive one," Ford's (NYSE: F) new and far-reaching message on
improved vehicle quality, fuel economy, safety advances and smart technology.
Ford Racing cars will sport a variety of "Drive one" logos starting with
this weekend's events in Phoenix (NASCAR), and Las Vegas (NHRA), highlighted
by the No. 28 "Drive one" Ford Fusion, driven by Yates Racing's Travis Kvapil.
Yates Racing, which is still searching for a full-time sponsor for its
cars, is helping Ford with the "Drive one" launch by offering up Kvapil's car,
which will be seen by millions of viewers this weekend on SPEED and FOX.
"Yates Racing is honored to have the opportunity to run the 'Drive one'
paint scheme on the No. 28 Ford Fusion this weekend," said team owner Doug
Yates. "We have a great driver in Travis, along with top-of-the-line
equipment and technology courtesy of Ford.
"I've been fortunate enough to have the chance to participate in the
development of Ford cars and engines from the racing side and I can't think of
a better manufacturer to be affiliated with," he said. " 'Drive one' really
shows consumers all the great strides Ford continues to make in an effort to
provide the world with the best cars and trucks on the road."
"Drive one" is the inside story of Ford, chronicling in TV, print and
digital media how Ford employees have closed the gap with Asian competitors on
quality, advanced vehicle safety, made vehicles more fuel efficient and led
the industry in developing in-car connectivity. It also invites people to
drive a Ford and see for themselves how the company's vehicles perform.
"I'm really thrilled to drive the No. 28 'Drive one' Ford Fusion this
weekend at Phoenix," said Kvapil. "Being a Ford driver myself, I can tell you
that they are committed to the four key points of this campaign: quality,
fuel-efficiency, safety, and technologically-advanced vehicles.
"I'm proud to drive Fords on and off the track, and I hope race fans who
don't have a Ford will drive one soon," he added.
Ford is integrating 'Drive one' into Ford's racing program to reach out to
Ford loyalists, so they can help spread the word about the company's gains in
areas that matter most to customers.
"Our research has shown time and again that race fans have a much higher
perception of Ford brand attributes than the general population, and those
same fans tend to be the 'influencers' in their neighborhoods when people want
to talk about cars and trucks," said Dan Geist, North American Marketing
Manager, Ford Racing Technology.
In addition to the primary sponsorship logos on the No. 28 Fusion this
weekend, "Drive one" logos will be featured on the b-pillar of each of Ford
NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. In addition, in- car camera and roll cage shots will
feature the new logos, and both Yates Racing and Wood Brothers Racing drivers
and crew members will wear special "Drive one" baseball caps.
The FOX Fusion 360 car, an important part of every "NASCAR on FOX"
broadcast, will also feature "Drive one" logos. Additionally, the special
NASCAR Ford Fusion that analyst Darrell Waltrip drives in FOX pre-race
features will also switch to the "Drive one" logos.
In NHRA, both the John Force Racing Mustangs and the Tasca Racing Shelby
Mustangs will feature "Drive one" logos on their cars this weekend, and Force
drivers Mike Neff and Robert Hight will both be outfitted with new "Drive one"
caps when they are out of the car.
Future plans include the inclusion of "Drive one" logos on all the Mustang
FR500S race cars in the new Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup series, the
Mustang FR500C race cars that compete in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge series
and the Ford-powered Grand Am Daytona Prototype cars.
SOURCE Ford Motor Company

Alan Hall, +1-313-594-3744, ahall32@ford.com, or Kevin Kennedy,
+1-313-203-7108, kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com