Community Corner

Ford Racing Team Commemorates Automobile Pioneer's 150th Birthday

The team's trademark No. 21 Ford Fusion features images of young entrepreneur Henry Ford.

DEARBORN — Trevor Bayne and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew will head into this weekend’s NASCAR Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a special paint scheme on the No. 21 Ford Fusion.

The team will mark the 150th anniversary of automobile pioneer Henry Ford's birthday with pictures of Ford on the front and sides of the trademark Focus.

NASCAR fans got a special preview of the car on Wednesday, when Wood Brothers Racing, Ford's and NASCAR's oldest continuously operating Sprint Cup team, unveiled the design at The Henry Ford museum.

"It's an honor for Motorcraft and Quick Lane and FordParts.com to be part of this," said Travis Hunt, motorsports marketing manager, Ford Customer Service Division. "To have Henry Ford on our vehicle, and to transform it into a celebration of the 150-year legacy he created is really special for us."

Wood Brothers Racing has 98 wins to its credit, with legendary drivers like David Pearson, A.J. Foyt, Dale Jarrett and Cale Yarborough behind the wheel.

"We've raced Fords since we started racing in 1950 with my dad (Glen Wood) when he started the team," said Eddie Wood, who now runs the family-owned team. "We've never had anything but that. To be the team that's picked to put Henry Ford's 150th on our car, that's a huge honor."

Everything about this year’s Brickyard 400 will be steeped in historical significance for the Woods, including the location itself. While NASCAR has only been racing at the track since the 1990s, Wood Brothers Racing’s history stretches back to 1965 – when the team’s quick pit stops propelled driver Jim Clark and his Ford-powered Lotus to Ford Racing’s first win at the Indianapolis 500.

“This track is quite special for us,” said Len Wood.

The significance of the milestone isn’t lost on Bayne, who, similar to a young Henry Ford racing in 1901, won against impossible odds during the 2011 Daytona 500 just a day after turning 20.

“One-hundred and fifty years, that’s huge,” Bayne said. “If I could tell him ‘happy 150th birthday,’ I’d be asking him his secret, first of all. I’d thank him for all he’s done for us and our sport."

For more information on the Brickyard 400, visit http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/brickyard400/.


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