• For the seventh-consecutive year, one talented child with type 1 diabetes (T1D) will win a trip to see the car he or she designed race in a real, professional NHRA Funny Car drag race, courtesy of Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers, in a contest benefitting JDRF.

• This year, the winner will attend the Mile High NHRA Nationals, July 18-20, 2014, in Denver, a professional drag race where the JDRF-themed Ford Mustang Funny Car, driven by Bob Tasca III, will race at speeds faster than 300 mph.

• Children ages 5-18 with T1D are eligible to participate. For entry forms and official rules, visit Fordracecar.jdrf.org.

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 18, 2014—For the seventh-consecutive year, one talented child with type 1 diabetes (T1D) will win a trip to see the car he or she designed race in a real, professional motorsport, courtesy of Motorcraft, the official recommended aftermarket part for Ford vehicles, and Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers, in an exciting contest which raises funds for JDRF.

This year, the winner will attend the Mile High NHRA Nationals, July 18-20, 2014, a professional drag race where the JDRF-themed Ford Mustang Funny Car will race at speeds faster than 300 mph.

Ford Motor Company’s relationship with JDRF – the leading global funder of T1D research – spans three decades. In 2008, Motorcraft and Quick Lane Racing joined the effort with the “Our Everyday Heroes” Race Car Design Contest.

Bob Tasca III, driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Funny Car, participated as a rookie driver in 2008. Now in his seventh year as a Funny Car driver, Tasca still looks forward to JDRF week at the race track.

“It really is an honor to help spread the word about JDRF and tell the story of what these kids deal with on an everyday basis,” Tasca said. “Their strength is inspiring and the race car designs these kids come up with are just amazing.”

In six years, the race car design contest has raised more than a quarter million dollars for JDRF, the only organization with a strategic plan to end T1D.

“Thanks to the generous support of Ford, we are moved year after year by the creativity and perseverance of the young artists with type 1 diabetes who enter this contest,” said Margo K. Lucero, Vice President of Corporate Development for JDRF. “We are grateful to Ford and its dedicated employees for being champions of people with type 1 diabetes, and for helping JDRF create a world without the disease.”

Children ages 5-18 with T1D are eligible to participate. Visit Fordracecar.jdrf.org to download entry forms and official rules. Entrants will be matched to a JDRF chapter local to their area to help in the process.

Every child who enters raises money for JDRF by inviting their friends and family to “vote” through donations toward research that will help create a world without T1D.

“We have a valuable, visible platform in our race teams, and we are proud to use them to spread awareness and raise funds for such an important cause,” said Mary Lou Quesnell, Marketing Director, FCSD.

In 2013, Blake Lillicraf, 13, of Trumbull, Conn., raised $6,550 in the contest that gave him the racing experience of a lifetime. The multiple-sport athlete had just been diagnosed with T1D the previous November.

T1D is a disease in which the body’s pancreas stops producing enough insulin, a hormone that is needed to turn food into energy. People with T1D must monitor their blood sugar levels and administer insulin via shots or an insulin pump, multiple times every day. Even vigilant management does not ward against T1D complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness and amputation. JDRF is the largest charitable funder of T1D research, focused on supporting key therapies that hold significant promise in turning Type One into Type None.

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About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln dealers, independent distributors, and automotive parts retailers. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models.  Quick Lane’s nationwide network of more than 600 facilities, each providing the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians).  Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.

About JDRF
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence and a working plan to bring life-changing therapies from the lab to the community. As the largest charitable supporter of T1D research, JDRF is currently sponsoring $530 million in charitable research in 17 countries.

Tim Keenan
O (313.203.7152)
tkeenan@pcgcampbell.com

Tara Wilcox-Ghanoonparvar
O (212.479.7524)
twilcox-ghanoonparvar@jdrf.org