Special Ford centennial edition

This Week in Ford Racing
Special Ford Motor Company Centennial Edition
June 10, 2003

Ford Motor Company will celebrate its 100th anniversary this weekend with a major public event at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. Henry Ford's upset victory over Alexander Winton on Oct. 10, 1901, helped paved the way for the formation of Ford on June 16, 1903. And, since that day, racing has played a very prominent role in the company's history, from the early victories of "999," to the 'Purple Hogs" in NASCAR in 1955, to the four LeMans victories in the 1960s, to the "Million Dollar Bill" Elliott NASCAR domination in the 1980s, to the return to CART and Indianapolis in the 1990s, and to the present North American Ford programs in NASCAR, CART Champ Car and NHRA.

In honor of this special celebration, Ford Racing asked many of its current drivers and legends to dicuss their favorite Ford memories and vehicles for this Centennial Edition of "This Week in Ford Racing."

NHRA Funny Car

JOHN FORCE - Castrol GTX Mustang Funny Car

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORD VEHICLE?
"I have a robin's egg blue-and-white 1957 Ford T-Bird in my car collection and I bought one of the new Thunderbirds to match - same color. Both of them are in my museum. I love to drive the '57. Also, the Jaguar that Ford gave me for winning my 10th championship. That's in the museum, too, because it means something special."

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FORD MOMENT?
"When I broke Bob Glidden's record by winning my 86th race at Chicago in 2000; then when I won my 100th. But on top of that, driving with Edsel Ford in the vintage car from 1927 or whenever it was. That was truly a great moment for me."

TONY PEDREGON - Castrol Syntec Mustang Funny Car

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORD VEHICLE?
"It's a 1995 supercharged 5.0 Mustang GT that was a project car with the Ford Racing division. We built it as a high-performance street car using parts out of the catalog and I still drive it and take it to car shows."

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FORD MOMENT?
"It was at the 1997 NHRA race at Houston. It was the first time I met Bob Tasca, Sr., it was our first race with Ford and we were fortunate enough to put our Mustang in the winners circle, the first win for Ford with John Force Racing."

GARY DENSHAM - The Auto Club of Southern California Mustang Funny Car

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FORD VEHICLE?
"The Automobile Club of Southern California Mustang Funny Car I drive for John Force Racing. It's a fast ol' hot rod."

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FORD MOMENT?
"Winning my first NHRA national event in the Auto Club Mustang at Memphis, Tennessee, in 2001."

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