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- 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.
- Yates Racing’s Travis Kvapil’s No. 28 Ford Fusion will carry special “Drive one” paint scheme in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Saturday night in Phoenix.
- “Drive one” logos and apparel will be seen on Ford competitors and cars in NASCAR and NHRA this weekend and on Mustang road racers in the weeks ahead.
DEARBORN, Mich., April 10, 2008 – This weekend, racing fans across the country will see and hear many of Ford Racing’s top stars talking about “Drive one,” Ford’s 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.
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Ford Racing TechnologyFord Racing Technology, based in Dearborn, Mich., is responsible for major racing operations in North America, including NASCAR (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck), Grand American sports car racing, NHRA drag racing and USAC midget car racing. Ford Racing also oversees development and marketing of Ford Racing Performance Parts, and the marketing of the Ford Racing brand through initiatives such as Team Ford Racing. For more information regarding Ford Racing’s activities, please visit www.fordracing.com
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