FORD TRUCKS HOSTS HOMETOWN MONSTER TRUCK EVENT FOR CHICAGO-AREA WINNER

KANKAKEE, Ill., July 20, 2007 – Bruce Heavner of Crete, Ill. will be the most popular person in town this weekend when he shares the spoils of Las Vegas’ biggest jackpot ever: a monster truck event he won in a unique promotion from Ford Trucks and Monster Jam this past March. The hometown Monster Jam will feature 11-foot high, 1,500- horsepower trucks bounding over huge hills and crushing cars. Heavner personally distributed hundreds of tickets to family members, friends, T-ball teams, Boy Scouts, police and fire departments, and local charities.

The small town of Crete, Ill., population 7,000, eagerly awaits the one-of-a-kind event as Monster Jam’s fleet of monster trucks and heavy-duty dirt-moving equipment is set to invade a nearby race track. A team of more than a dozen Monster Jam workers generally set up tracks in three days using up to 200 dump-truck loads of dirt. Beginning at approximately 11 p.m. tonight after another racing event concludes, they will have less than 24 hours to complete the task before Heavner’s monster truck event begins at 7:00 p.m. Central time on Saturday.

“This is such a thrill for my family and the city,” said Heavner, who works in Chicago as a computer network engineer and has three children ages three months, three and six. “The kids are all about Monster Jam – they have toy monster trucks and set up tracks to race them on, just like the real events.”

The event will be held on Saturday, July 21 at the Kankakee Motor Speedway (capacity of 6,000 seats) located about 30 minutes south of Crete. Among Heavner’s guests is a Toronto family that is driving to the race after tracking him down when they heard about the promotion.

The event will be a full Monster Jam event featuring racing and freestyle competitions. Prior to the event, Heavner, his guests and all other fans will be treated to the Built Ford Tough Party in the Pits where they’ll have the chance to get autographs from the drivers and get up close to the monster trucks.

Heavner won this innovative promotion at the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas by randomly choosing a key (among five lucky finalists who won trips to the event) that started the all-new 2008 F-Series Super Duty F-450 pickup. Heavner, along with the other four finalists – Samantha Getzinger, Grayslake, Ill.; Robert DeGroat, Hillsdale, NJ; Donna Bivens, Humboldt, Tenn.; and Brad Bell, Whiting, Kan. – each won a trip for four to the Monster Jam World Finals at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium this past March 24th.

“I signed up for the promotion and didn’t think about it for awhile,” said Heavner. “Then they called and asked me if I was available to go to Las Vegas. I was so shocked and thrilled that I thought it must have been a scam. But, sure enough, it was legit.”

Innovative Marketing

Ford’s truck leadership is built on a deep understanding of and connection with customers that is translated into marketing efforts that go well beyond just hanging banners at events.

“Ford Trucks are ingrained in the American culture – from work trucks to Monster trucks – based on the unwavering commitment of Built Ford Tough,” says Todd Eckert, Ford Truck and SUV communications manager. “We have built that heritage by going where our customers live, work and play in order to deeply understand their needs.”

“The ‘Monsters on Mainstreet’ event is a perfect example of how we go beyond the typical promotion to create a truly unique experience that only Ford Trucks and Monster Jam can deliver.”

The Blue Thunder F-350s, driven by Tony Farrell and Linsey Weenk, sits on 66-inch Terra Tires and is capable of producing nearly 1,500 horsepower. The Blue Thunders are just two of eight monster trucks that will compete at the event.

Monster Jam kicked off another season this July and will host events across North America and Europe. This year, it is expected to surpass its average annual attendance of 3.5 million fans. The series will conclude with the Monster Jam World Finals in Las Vegas March 28-29, 2008.