Matt Kenseth's Early Success Means Two Ford Fans Are Headed to Ford Championship Weekend

DEARBORN, Mich., March 6 -- Ford's NASCAR teams are racing. And that means race fans are already winning.

Matt Kenseth's record-tying start to the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season has resulted in two fans already winning trips to this year's Ford Championship Weekend and earning a chance to win a 2010 Ford Fusion as part of Ford's "We Race. You Win." national sweepstakes.

Kenseth's back-to-back victories in the Daytona 500 and Auto Club 500 in February led Chuck Fountain of Plymouth, Minn., and Edward Dudley-Robey of Bakersfield, Calif., to become the first fans to win an all-expenses paid trip to Ford Championship Weekend, and qualify to win that 2010 Ford Fusion.

Kenseth is the first driver to win the first two races of a season in 12 years.

Each time a Ford Racing driver wins a NASCAR Sprint Cup points race in 2009, one lucky fan and a guest will win an all-expenses paid VIP trip to Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway from Nov. 20-22, 2009. During the race weekend, one of those fans will be selected as the grand prizewinner of a 2010 Ford Fusion.

When Fountain was notified that he had been selected as a winner, he was caught off-guard. "I said, 'What?' I guess I had forgotten that I had even entered the contest. It's just one of those things. If something is brought to my attention and it looks enticing, like this contest certainly is, then I'll throw my hat into the ring."

Additionally, as a bonus resulting from one of his February wins, Kenseth will visit Fountain in Minnesota for a private 2010 Fusion test drive. Coincidentally, when he entered the contest, Fountain named Kenseth as his favorite driver, but he respects anyone who races.

"I admire them all," Fountain said. "They call it a sport, but I think it's more of an endurance than anything else, having to put up with the heat and the jolting that they get when they get driving that distance and at those speeds. It's just absolutely amazing."

When Fountain gets to Homestead-Miami Speedway in eight months, it will be the first time he's ever seen a race in person - but the second time he's been to a NASCAR race track.

"The only track I've been to is the one at Daytona," Fountain said. "I've not seen a race there, but I've walked part of the track and took the van ride around it, and those banks are just unbelievable. You can hardly walk around one of those corners, to say nothing of trying to drive it at just shy of 200 miles an hour.

"It's just absolutely amazing. And now I can't wait to see Homestead."

Fans can register by logging on to www.weraceyouwin.com now through Nov. 15, 2009. Obviously, the sooner fans register, the more opportunities they have to win. Ford Racing drivers won 11 races, including nine by Carl Edwards, during the 2008 season.

"With our new Fusion getting ready to make its debut in showrooms, and our new NASCAR Fusion debuting on the track this season, we wanted to do something special for race fans that will reward them every time one of our drivers wins," Greg Scott, Ford Fusion marketing manager, said. "We're thrilled that Matt was able to win the first two races of the year - including the Daytona 500.

"Those victories have helped Ford get off to a great start, and have given two lucky fans a chance to experience a once-in-a-lifetime trip later this year. The great thing is, that fans have plenty more chances to get into this contest since it's still so early in the season."

All of the Homestead winners will receive a trip for two to Ford Championship Weekend, including air, hotel, rental car, tickets to all three races and a VIP visit with Ford dealers at the track.

Fans who register before Nov. 15, 2009, also will have a chance to be eligible for one of 10 random monthly drawings of Ford-themed prizes, like autographed helmets, apparel packs and more.