- As the grand prize winner of the third-annual Monsters on Mainstreet contest, Michelle Stockton, of League City, Texas, hosted her own hometown Monster Jam® show Saturday at the Houston Motorsports Park.
- Stockton was one of more than 40,000 Monster Jam fans who entered the contest.
- Ford Truck's alliance with Monster Jam enables the brand to connect with customers in a personal way.
DEARBORN, Mich., July 31, 2008 - Michelle Stockton had a weekend she and 1,000 of her closest friends and family members will never forget, courtesy of 'Built Ford Tough' Trucks and Monster Jam®.
As the grand-prize winner of the third annual Monsters on Mainstreet contest, Stockton, of League City, Texas, hosted her very own hometown Monster Jam show Saturday at the Houston Motorsports Park.
"It's hard to explain how it feels unless you're there," she said. "I guess you feel a little famous."
Stockton was one of more than 40,000 Monster Jam fans who registered to win the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Earlier this year, she and four finalists flew to Las Vegas for the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas, where she won the grand prize by randomly selecting the key that started a Super Duty® F-450.
"When I turned the key and saw the lights come on in the truck, I couldn't believe it," recalled Stockton. "I was in shock for winning, but I was really excited for my son because I knew he would really enjoy this event."
Stockton says she and her husband have been Monster Jam fans ever since their 9-year-old son Ryan was born.
"You get it through your child's enjoyment," she said. "We've taken him every year since he was two, and he just loves to see the drivers do the freestyle and tear the trucks up."
Stockton says Ryan had the time of his life on Saturday.
"He brought his best friend along with him, and they came down to the floor with us and helped us say, 'Ladies and Gentlemen start your engines,' which is a really big thing," she said. "He was thrilled."
Ryan's third-grade classmates at Gilmore Elementary School in League City were there cheering him on. They were the first to receive an invitation to the big event.
"I'm known as the lunch lady at school because I work with the kids in the cafeteria," she said. "Now I think I'm going to be known as the monster truck lady."
To round out the 1,000 tickets, Stockton extended invitations to the rest of the school, her family and all of the people from her church parish.
The festivities began on Friday with a parade down Main Street in League City.
"We got to ride in the back of the Ford Blue Thunder monster truck," said Stockton. "It was unreal. Everybody was honking at us and waving."
On Saturday, Stockton, her family and friends and 4,000 charity guests enjoyed their own Monster Jam show followed by an autograph session with the Monster Truck drivers.
"The best part was just being able to sit down and have one-on-one time with the drivers," she said. "Ford Motor Company provided us a personalized experience that we will never forget."
According to Todd Eckert, Ford Truck marketing manager, Ford Truck's alliance with Monster Jam enables the brand to personally connect with customers.
"With today's consumer, you need to go beyond just base advertising and reach consumers in unique ways," he said. "Monster Jam is a great way for us to reach customers and provide them with more information about our trucks, and since the competition involves tough trucks in extreme performance situations, it is a good fit for the Built Ford Tough brand."
More than 30 percent of F-Series customers either attend or watch Monster Truck events on television, says Eckert, and Ford Truck leverages its connection to Monster Jam by having two teams compete in the actual racing and freestyle events with Ford's monster truck Blue Thunder.
"Blue Thunder is one of the most popular trucks, and our drivers, Linsey Weenk and Tony Farrell, are true fan favorites," he said.
Stockton says hosting her own hometown Monster Jam was the experience of a lifetime.
"You just can't put it into words," she said. "It was a blast."
# # #
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 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.