FF: 2005 expanision plans announced

(Indianapolis, IN) On March 9, 2002, a field of six cars took the green flag for the inaugural USAC Ford Focus Midget Series event at Bakersfield Speedway in Bakersfield, CA. Since that day, the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series has become one of the fastest growing professional racing series in America with over 100 Ford Focus Midgets registered for competition and 97 scheduled events in 2004 alone. In 2005, that growth continues with the announcement that four new USAC Ford Focus Midget Series regions will begin competition in 2005.

Joining the four existing regions, Southern and Northern California, the Midwest and North Carolina/Virginia, USAC will recognize the USAC New England Ford Focus Series, the USAC Sunshine State Ford Focus Midget Series, the USAC Oklahoma Ford Focus Midget Series and the USAC Northwest Ford Focus Series. Each of these series will follow the model of the existing USAC Ford Focus Midget Series regions, conducting their own races and crowning a USAC Ford Focus Midget Series champion.

The expansion of the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series will bring racing to Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Kansas, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Currently, the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series competes in 10 states and has just completed its 100th event, The Belleville Ford Focus Midget Nationals, in Belleville, Kansas.

"The USAC Ford Focus Midget Series growth is driven by demand for our cars and series," said Eric Bunn, USAC's National Coordinator, Ford Focus Midget Series. "That demand is so great that we are adding the four new regions for 2005, which will make Ford Focus Midget Series available to competitors in 22 states, so as well as being the fastest growing open wheel series in the country, it will be a truly national series," Bunn continued.

The USAC Ford Focus Midget Series features the Ford 2.0L ZETEC engine from the Ford Focus road car. This spec engine is "as produced" on Ford's production lines and races with same block, cylinder head and internal components as the road going Focus, enabling drivers and owners to begin an open wheel racing career with an affordable and reliable engine.

SCREAM of Harbor City, CA, the sole source supplier for the spec Ford Focus Midget series engine, outfits each engine the with mechanical fuel injection, fuel and water pumps, clutch, flywheel and oil pan necessary for the rigors of midget car racing. SCREAM also seals each engine to ensure competitive equality across the nation.

"Our goal was to develop a regional series that operates under a national umbrella, and with the addition of these four new regions planned for 2005, we've done that," said Dan Davis, director Ford Racing Technology.

"The continued growth of the Ford Focus Midget Series shows that we've managed to strike the right balance between exciting racing, value, and convenience," said Davis. "For the series to be a success it needs to work for the teams, drivers, track owners and promoters and the response we've heard from all of them has been resoundingly positive."

"The USAC Ford Focus Midget Series continues to demonstrate what may well be the most significant growth of any Open Wheel Racing Series in America and we look forward to the contribution the new geographic expansion will being in 2005 and beyond," said Rollie Helmling, President/CEO of the United States Auto Club.

Helmling emphasized, "The USAC Ford Focus Midget Series will bring exciting open wheel racing to new areas of the country and continue to provide great entry level professional racing at an affordable cost to participants who race for the pure enjoyment of competition or as stepping stone for building their career in auto racing."

Each of the new USAC Ford Focus Regions will have its own Series Coordinator, Rod Riley of Team 19, USAC Sunshine State Ford Focus Series, Tom Sewell, Oklahoma Ford Focus Series, Fred Brownfield, Northwest Ford Focus Midget Series and Bobby Seymour, the New England Ford Focus Series. For more information on each region please contact Eric Bunn at USAC, (317) 247-5151.

--USAC