Start your engines for the Ford Racing Festival

Crescent Street will be roaring with family fun including driver appearances, live shows, free giveaways and race cars on display

MONTREAL, Aug. 23 /CNW Telbec/ - Fans should gear up for all the excitement coming to Crescent Street during the biggest racing festival during the August race weekend. The ninth edition of the Ford Racing Festival, presented by Budweiser 4 and sponsored by Ford Fusion, will offer exciting shows, exhibits and a variety of race cars on display.

Everyone is invited to come to the party on Crescent Street, between de Maisonneuve and St. Catherine, on August 26, 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to join in on the fun. Day one kicks off with appearances from GRAND-AM Series Ford Racing drivers Tracy W. Krohn, Nic Jönsson, Michael Valiante, Brian Friselle and AIM Autosport Ford Racing drivers Burt Friselle and Mark Wilkins. Q & A, autograph and photo sessions will start on the Ford Fusion Stage at 5:45 p.m.

"The Ford team is always eager to celebrate racing with dedicated fans," said Rick Gemin, Sponsorships and Events Manager for Ford Canada. "We are excited to offer plenty of entertainment for an enjoyable weekend of events for the whole family."

All kinds of cars will be on display and activities will be held over the course of the weekend. Everyone is encouraged to have their photo taken with these powerful cars and the Ford hostesses. Also available is the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a trip to the Ford Championship Weekend in Miami, Florida. Cars on display will include, for the first time in Canada, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car, a forward mounted engine and carbon fibre frame make this a unique appearance at the festival; a Nationwide Series Ford Mustang, straight from the Nationwide circuit; a Ford Mustang FR500S, a highly tuned performance variant of the consumer car; a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, a purpose-built truck intended for high-speed off road use; and a Ford Fiesta, the newest model of the car that has sold over twelve million units since 1976.

Festival goers can also test their mechanical skills with the Ford Racing Pit Stop Challenge where participants compete to see who can change a tire fastest and the Ford Racing Crew Chief Challenge which challenges contestants to connect spark plug wires and the oil filter of an engine the fastest.

Throughout the weekend, public appearances will be made by Bob Tasca III. In the first 16 races of 2010, Tasca earned one win, one runner-up finish, five semi-final appearances and a total of 20 round wins. Ford Racing drivers from the GRAND-AM Rolex Series will attend on Thursday; and Ford Racing drivers from the Nationwide Series will make an appearance Friday at 5:00pm on the Ford Fusion stage.

"Racing is such a big part of Montreal's culture," said Catherine Boucher, Marketing Director at Labatt. "The Budweiser team is pleased to be a part of such a great event on Crescent Street."

Adding to the excitement will be the interactive Canadian Tire Garage featuring an exact replica of Scott Steckly's No.22 Canadian Tire race car and Jacques Villeneuve's vintage Indy car. Festival goers who stop by will also have the chance to enter a draw to win a trip for two to the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Las Vegas, Nevada as well as step inside the Canadian Tire Money Machine where contestants will be challenged to grab as much Canadian Tire money as possible.

"This is the event of the year for Crescent Street," said Bernard Ragueneau, Co-President of the Crescent Street Merchants Association. "We want everyone to enjoy a fun filled race themed weekend."

There will also be an exclusive feature of the AIM Autosport GRAND-AM Rolex No. 61 Ford Riley Daytona Prototype on display from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 26. The Daytona Prototype is powered by a 5.0-liter V8 engine found in the Ford GT and high-performance version of the Ford Mustang.

The Ford Fusion stage will feature a variety of musical acts to entertain the crowd every evening. On Thursday at 7 p.m. on the Ford Fusion stage will feature The Beds and their dynamic rhythm that everyone can enjoy; in addition to Young Soul at 9 p.m., with their alternative rock sound.

Friday at 7 p.m. This Side Up will take the stage with classic rock 'n roll sounds and will be followed by Broken Nails an all female Montreal based group with a diverse set at 9 p.m.

Saturday will feature even more music with Delta20, an original rock 'n roll group from Quebec at 6 p.m., Toys, whose style covers the sounds of Metallica to Green Day and back to the Beatles, at 7 p.m. and Akasha at 9 pm, an all female singing group that is sure to blow you away.

"This year's Ford Racing Festival has a stellar line-up of performances, activities, cars and guest appearances," said Brian Fogt, president of BBF Promotions and Events, "It will be our best festival yet."

For further information: Torchia Communications, Valérie Marcoux / François-David Rouleau, Office: 514 288-8290, ext: 214 / 243, Cell/VM: 514 569-1973 / Cell/FDR: 450 512-0433, [email protected] / [email protected]