Yates Racing, which has soldiered on for most of 2008 with no sponsorship for Travis Kvapil, got some good news this week as Ford Motor Co. has stepped up to sponsor Kvapil’s #28 Fusion. Full details are expected later today from Phoenix.(SPEEDtv) AND: This weekend, racing fans across the country will see and hear many of Ford Racing’s stars talking about Drive one, Ford’s new and far-reaching message about 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 Avondale, Ariz. (NASCAR), and Las Vegas (NHRA), highlighted by the #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 #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 is the inside story of Ford, chronicling in television, print and digital media how Ford employees have closed the gap with Asian competitors regarding quality, advanced vehicle safety, made vehicles more fuel efficient and led the industry in developing in-car connectivity. People are also invited to drive a Ford vehicle and experience for themselves the company’s vehicles’ performance. “I’m really thrilled to drive the #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. 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. In addition to the primary sponsorship logos on the #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.(Ford Racing), see an image of the scheme on my #28 Team Schemes page.(4-10-2008)
