Ford to promote F-series with NASCAR Truck sponsorship.

July race to be “The Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers.”

By Don Ward
Editor

(from left) Kentucky Speedway V.P. and GM Mark Cassis, Robert Nolan of Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers; NASCAR truck drivers Terry Cook and Carl Edwards, and Ford executives Burt Diamond and Dan Timmer."

SPARTA, Ky. (April 2003) – Hoping to take advantage of the marketing opportunities afforded by the nearby Kentucky Speedway, the Ford Motor Co., along with the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers, announced March 26 they will sponsor the July 12 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Sparta to promote their newly designed Ford F-Series trucks.
The announcement was made by Ford and Kentucky Speedway officials at a press luncheon in the track’s infield media center. This year’s Truck Series race will be known as “The Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” and telecast live nationally on SPEED Channel beginning at 8 p.m.
The sponsorship agreement is for one year and carries a one-year renewal option.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Terry Cook and rookie Carl Edwards took part in the sponsorship announcment. Cook, a native Buckeye who now resides in Pittsboro, Ind., finished eighth in season points last season, with five wins and nine top-10s. Edwards, of Columbia, Mo., trails Tina Gordon in Rookie of the Year points after three outings.
“This agreement certainly helps unite Ford’s interests in promoting its standing as the world leader in truck sales, our Greater Cincinnati Ford dealer body, our position as the Official Truck of NASCAR, and our loyal race fans,” Ford Racing Technology Global Marketing Manager Burt Diamond said. “Clearly, this deal made business sense on many levels, and I’m grateful to everyone at Kentucky Speedway for continuing to be so willing to work with Ford.”
The event sponsorship extends Ford’s multi-faceted corporate partnership with the track. Since 2000, the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers have provided “The Official Car and Truck” of Kentucky Speedway, as well as being the exclusive automotive category partner. In addition, Ford Racing entered into a multi-year agreement in 2002 to rent the facility each Tuesday to allow its NASCAR Winston Cup teams to test on the speedway’s 1.5-mile tri-oval. Ford will use “The Built Ford Tough 225, Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” as a focal point of its rollout of the all-new 2004 F-150 truck, which will be available this fall.
Dan Timmer, assistant launch manager for the F-150 trucks, said the sponsorship was ideal because of the company’s ongoing relationship with the Kentucky Speedway and because “the track is located in the heart of the Ford truck production operation,” referring to the Ford truck plant in Louisville.
Robert Nolan of John Nolan Ford in Cincinnati and president of Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers, said, “We believe this race will be a great opportunity to showcase our trucks, which are the best-selling vehicles on the planet.”

Kentucky Speedway features both a 1.5-mile tri-oval and quarter-mile short track. The speedway opens its 2003 season May 9-10 with the return of the ARCA RE/MAX Series for the “Channel 5-205” and Legends Series race with NASCAR Winston Cup Series stars.
Racing continues June 13-14 when the NASCAR Busch Series convenes to contest “The Meijer 300” and the NASCAR Hills Bros. All-Pro Series runs “The Kentucky 150.”
The July 11-12 weekend features the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series “Kentucky 225” and NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series “Kentucky 150.”
The Indy Racing League will provide the season finale August 16-17 with “The Belterra Casino Indy 300” and Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series “Kentucky 100.”

• Visit www.kentuckyspeedway.com or phone 1-888-652-RACE (7223) for complete race schedule and ticket information.