Imagine you are a worker in a truck assembly plant. You mind your own business, then out of the blue the sound of a trumpet is heard. And not just any sound, but the same one you get to hear at the start of one of the most famous horse races in the world, the Kentucky Derby.
The scenario above is how Ford decided to announce a multi-year partnership with the Churchill Downs race track and the Kentucky Derby event. It even put that scenario into practice, and released a video of Kentucky Derby veteran bugler Steve Buttleman sitting in the middle of the Kentucky Truck Plant, blowing his trumpet and causing a commotion.
That’s probably what it is going to happen at the race track, only in reverse. On May 2, when the event is scheduled to take place, Ford will be bringing to Churchill Downs a bunch of its newest and shiniest pickup trucks, led by the 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty. In addition, every horse owner will get a Ford Explorer to move about for the duration of the event.
There will be some perks for Ford employees too, as they (Ford does not say anything about any conditions that have to be met) will be granted free admission for a day at the Derby, accompanied by guests.
“Our employees here in Louisville are proud to be building products that play an integral role in our customers’ lives, and now for the great American tradition that is the Kentucky Derby,” said in a statement Joe Bobnar, Ford director of manufacturing for Louisville Assembly Plant and Kentucky Truck Plant.
“This partnership means something special to our thousands of dedicated employees, retirees and dealers in the Louisville community.”
Ford chose to back one of the state’s most important sporting events in part because there are two of its plants in the region: the Truck plant where the F-Series, Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator are made, and the Louisville Assembly from where the Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair come.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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