FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION 2011 RACE SEASON KICKS OFF WITH SPRINT CUP VICTORY
DEARBORN, Mich., February 20, 2011 – There have been big wins and championships for the Motorcraft brand in its long and storied motorsports history, but never has a season kicked off quite like 2011.
Trevor Bayne, a 20-year-old NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie making just his second Sprint Cup series start, piloted the Wood Brothers No. 21 Motorcraft / Quick Lane Ford Fusion to victory in the Daytona 500. The victory was the first for the Wood Brothers since 2001 when Elliott Sadler was driving for the team.
“Our first 500, are you kidding me,” said Bayne, who became the tenth Ford driver to win the Daytona 500. “To win our first one? Our second ever Cup race? I can’t thank the guys that worked with me enough. There were 10-15 different drivers that helped us get across that line. Wow. This is unbelievable. Ford, Motorcraft, Quick Lane, the Wood Brothers, there are a lot of people to thank. It is just amazing. How cool is it to see the Wood Brothers back in victory lane. We have Leonard [Wood] here and he is the man. Thanks to the fans. I have never been to a race track with so many people. To win on this platform is incredible.”
“We’re so tickled to be here,” said Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Len Wood. “Ford Motor Company has stood behind us for 61 years now to be exact. We’ve been Ford all of our entire racing and to be a part of NASCAR, like I say; this is the greatest feeling you can have. You think, ‘Well, what’s your biggest win?’ Well, this is the top of the stack right now.”
Motorcraft is now in its eleventh season as a sponsor of Wood Brothers racing, and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers is now in its second season with the iconic NASCAR team.
"Congratulations to Trevor Bayne and the Wood Brothers on an outstanding start to the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season,” said Brett Wheatley, Director of Marketing, Ford Customer Service Division. “We are proud of our long-standing relationship with the Wood Brothers, and today’s Daytona 500 victory will be a highlight that we will look back on for years to come. Motorcraft and Quick Lane are thrilled to be associated with such a tremendous group of people and with a team which has such a rich and successful history and one that continues to build on that legacy."
The Motorcraft / Quick Lane program with the Wood Brothers is one of two season long motorsports sponsorships by Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). FCSD brands Motorcraft, Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center and FordParts.com are also partnering with Bob Tasca III and the Tasca Racing to compete in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series with a Mustang Funny Car.
Tasca and the Motorcraft / Quick Lane Shelby Mustang will kick off the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle season with the Winternationals next weekend at Pomona, Calif.
