Ford Championship Weekend at Miami-Homestead Through 2014
Ford will remain title sponsor of NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup series finales through 2014
Ten year extension with Homestead-Miami Speedway is Ford’s largest-ever motorsports sponsorship
Agreement signed on eve of Ford Fusion’s NASCAR debut – and swan song for the NASCAR Taurus, which has four NASCAR championships
Calling it an agreement that is “win-win” for both sides, Ford Racing Technology Global Motorsport Marketing Manager Burt Diamond announced today that The season finales of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup series will remain Ford-titled races through 2014, under an agreement between Ford and Homestead-Miami Speedway announced today at the South Florida International Auto Show.
The 10-year extension of Ford Championship Weekend is the largest motorsports sponsorship in Ford history. The initial phase of the contract runs through 2009, with an automatic renewal that will extend that partnership to 2014.
The agreement continues Ford’s role as “official car” and “official truck” of the race weekend, and continues Ford entitlement rights to the Ford 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series final event, the Ford 300 NASCAR Busch Series final event, and the Ford 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series final event.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce this agreement,” said Burt Diamond , Ford Racing Technology Global Motorsport Marketing Manager.
“It’s been exciting to see the Ford Championship Weekend grow into one of the premier NASCAR experiences over the past three years, and this new long-term agreement will allow us to make it even more of a national ‘destination’ event.”
The importance of the Ford Championship Weekend has grown dramatically the past two years since it became the climactic event in NASCAR’s 10-race, 10-driver championship competition: The Chase for the Nextel Cup.
“With Ford Championship Weekend taking place each November in South Florida , it's the perfect setting for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series championships each and every year," said Curtis Gray, president, Homestead-Miami Speedway. “This long-term commitment further solidifies our outstanding relationship with Ford as we continue to elevate the premier status of Ford Championship Weekend as one of the most anticipated championship events in the country.”
NASCAR Looms Large in Ford Fusion Launch
Ford has made NASCAR one of the pillars of the launch of the all-new 2006 Ford Fusion – the boldly-styled car that mark’s Ford return to the mid-size car market.
“This long-term extension is further proof of our commitment to NASCAR racing and to south Florida ,” Diamond said. “This agreement has support at the highest levels of Ford because we have seen what racing can do as a marketing tool to help us sell more cars and trucks.”
The 2006 Fusion will serve as the official pace car for this year’s Ford 300 and Ford 400. And starting at Daytona Speedweeks 2006 in February, the Roush Racing, Robert Yates Racing and Wood Brothers race teams will field at least eight Fusions – Ford’s first all-new race car nameplate since the 1968 Ford Torino.
“The NASCAR audience is so enormous and the loyalty of NASCAR fans is so strong, we think Fusion will establish an emotional connection with fans even before we start winning races,” says Diamond.
Diamond noted that recent Ford research has shown that more than 54 percent of Ford owners consider themselves race fans.
“That’s already a huge number of people who have a strong, emotional connection to our racing activity,” said Diamond. “And, as NASCAR grows, we’re looking at the opportunity to convert casual race fans into Ford loyalists.”
Among market-active consumers, Ford’s market share among race fans is 46 percent higher than among non-race fans. And consideration for Ford products is 72 percent higher among race fans, than it is among non-race fans.
“Our research has shown that our primary brand attributes – things like ‘holds up well,’ ‘smart designs,’ ‘practical innovations’ – all rate higher among race fans than non race fans,” said Diamond.
“Our NASCAR race fans have the strongest image of Ford on both primary and racing-related brand images than anywhere else we race.
The 2005 Ford Championship Weekend
This year’s Ford Championship Weekend is Nov. 18-20. Ford will kick off race week activities with the Ford Racing Innovation Drive for consumers on Wednesday, Nov. 16 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Consumers will have a chance to drive a host of new Ford products, including the 2006 Ford Fusion and 2006 Ford Explorer, and meet Ford drivers like 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch.
On Thursday, Nov. 17, Ford and Homestead-Miami Speedway will co-sponsor a Ford Championship Weekend Race Fest at Las Olas in Ft. Lauderdale from Noon –11 p.m. , featuring music, interactive games and appearances by six of Ford’s NASCAR stars.
Ford Fans Bid Farewell to NASCAR Taurus
This year’s Ford Championship Weekend marks the swan song for the racing version of the Ford Taurus. Heading into the last three races of the season, the Taurus has four NASCAR championships (three Nextel Cup, one Busch), and 106 Nextel Cup victories since it made its competition debut in February 1998.
“We’d love to take Taurus out a winner in Homestead ,” said Dan Davis, director, Ford Racing Technology. “I can’t think of a better farewell scenario than to have Taurus win its final race, and a Taurus driver win the championship on the final day.”
