HMS names grand marshal, honorary starter for finale

TOP FORD EXECUTIVES TO SERVE AS HONORARY STARTER, GRAND MARSHAL FOR NEXTEL CUP FORD 400 AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 14, 2006) -- Alan Mulally, recently named President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company, will serve as Honorary Starter for Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Ford 400 season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mulally will wave the green flag to get the final race of the season underway as NASCAR crowns its 2006 Season Champion. Additionally, Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford Board of Directors, will serve as Grand Marshal for the event.

"We're pleased to have Alan Mulally and Edsel Ford take part in our season-ending festivities," said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Curtis Gray. "Ford has helped make this season-ending event a "must-see" for all race fans and we're honored to have them be part of such a high profile motorsports weekend."

Prior to joining Ford Motor Co. in September 2006, Mulally served as executive vice president of The Boeing Company, and president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. In that role, he was responsible for all of the company's commercial airplane programs and related services. Mulally also was a member of the Boeing Executive Council and served as Boeing's senior executive in the Pacific Northwest.

Mulally was named Boeing's president of Commercial Airplanes in September 1998. The responsibility of chief executive officer for the business unit was added in March 2001.

Previously, Mulally served as president of Boeing Information, Space & Defense Systems and senior vice president of The Boeing Company. Appointed to that role in February 1997, he was responsible for Boeing's defense, space and government business.

Ford is a member of the board of directors of Ford Motor Company. As a consultant to the company, Ford is active in company affairs and corporate dealer relations. This will be the third straight year he has given the "Start Your Engines" command.

During his 25-year career at Ford Motor Company, Ford held a variety of increasingly responsible positions. He was named president and chief operating officer of Ford Motor Credit Company in May 1991 and elected a company vice president in December 1993.

Ford is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company. His grandfather is Edsel B. Ford, company president from 1919 to 1943. His late father, Henry Ford II, was president of the company from 1945 to 1960 and chairman from 1960 to 1980.

All three NASCAR Series, the Craftsman Truck, Busch, and NEXTEL Cup will crown champions under the lights during Ford Championship Weekend. To purchase tickets to events at HMS, or for more information, log onto www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com or call the HMS ticket hotline at 1-866-409-RACE.

-credit: homesteadmiamispeedway.com