Ford Takes NASCAR Excitement to a New Level With Team Taurus Promotion

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 9 February means the NASCAR
racing circuit is about to begin, and for Ford fans that means a
whole new level of excitement in 2001.  Ford Division announced today that it
has created "Team Taurus," an Internet-based sweepstakes that allows fans to
be part of the racing action and win valuable trips and prizes.  Ford
announced that McDonald's and Tide have joined as partners in the innovate
program that will bring racing excitement to consumers of all three companies.
    "Racing is an important part of our heritage at Ford Division," said
Taurus Marketing Manager Rick Crossland.  "NASCAR fans are passionate about
the drivers they cheer for and the cars they buy.  By extending this passion
to Ford products and our partners' products, we're creating a way for
companies involved in NASCAR to join together to reach consumers in new and
exciting ways."
    The Team Taurus sweepstakes will involve race fans in an interactive
environment.  Contest participants can log onto http://www.raceteamtaurus.com ,
http://www.Fordvehicles.com , Tide and McDonald's racing pages and a number of other
web pages that link to the sweepstakes' site.  On the site, participants can
participate in an interactive game revolving around Ford drivers and their
NASCAR performance.
    The season-long interactive contest will culminate with winners earning
prizes like a Taurus SEL or a trip to the March 2002 Atlanta 500 NASCAR race.
    "Our interactive game on the web will be a true racing experience for
fans," Crossland said.  "Every week they will have new information, results
and highlights on the web page.  Just like the NASCAR circuit, the excitement
will build as the season progresses and we name the ultimate champions."
    Ford is able to provide its NASCAR partners with a complete program,
including managing the sweepstakes promotion and providing web content.  "A
program like this benefits all partners," Crossland said.  "Our partners
enhance their racing and brand image by joining with Ford, a leading-edge
automotive brand.  Ford gets to extend its message by participating in the
partners' promotional, point-of-purchase and coupon programs.  Both Ford and
its partners get a benefit from co-branding and reaching millions of consumers
in an interactive new fashion."
    The sweepstakes launch February 9.  The launch will be supported with ads
in Sports Illustrated, USA Today and the Motorsports Radio Network.