Drive the Ford Test Track, Meet Parnelli Jones and Tanner Foust

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Racing legend Parnelli Jones and three-time X Games Rally gold medalist and Top Gear USA host Tanner Foust will be attending Get Your Heart Racing, Saturday, October 15, at the Ford Development Center (formerly the Ford Proving Grounds) in Dearborn, Michigan, as Ford and Henry Ford Health System partner to fight heart disease.

The benefit begins at 1:30 p.m. on the Ford test track, rarely open to the public. The event continues into the evening at the Winner's Circle Afterglow, 5 – 9 p.m. at the Ford Conference Center, with dinner and entertainment, as well as live and silent auctions.

Foust, whose credentials also include the 2011 Global RallyCross Championship and two Formula Drift national championships, will take three guests chosen in a drawing out on the Ford test track, and attend the afterglow.

Parnelli Jones, winner of dozens of races over more than two decades, including the Indianapolis 500, drove to victory in the 1970 Laguna Seca race in his Mustang Boss 302. He will be mingling with guests, signing autographs, and participating in the live auction at the afterglow.

The highlight of the evening is the live auction of a "one-of-one" 2012 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, designed especially for this event, and signed by Jones.

Honorary Event Chair Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company, will be on hand to thank attendees and welcome them to the afterglow.  Ford is the Presenting Sponsor.

A "Shelby Ticket" to the event includes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for one person to participate in the following activities on the Ford test track:

• Drag racing – a two-car race on a short course.
• Highway Driving Simulation – choose from a wide selection of performance Ford vehicles.
• Wet Pad – a helmeted ride with a professional driver on a skid pad, for a demonstration of extreme handling.
• Driving Challenge – drive a coned course to experience driving dynamics.
• Hot Laps – ride with a professional driver in a Mustang on the high-speed track.
• Over The Top – drive F-150s or Explorers on an off-road course.

Shelby Tickets include a second guest for an optional track tour and pit pass activities, and both are invited to the Winner's Circle Afterglow.

Live auction items include two tickets to the 2012 American Idol Finale in April 2012, including hotel and airfare, and a Ford Championship Weekend VIP Experience in November 2011, including tickets for all three races, meeting Ford drivers and a personal garage and pit tour.

For a chance to win a Shelby Ticket to this event, $20 raffle tickets are available by calling (734) 246-9639. Four tickets will be raffled.

Shelby Tickets may be purchased for $2500 at getyourheartracing.org.

For those who will only be attending the Winner's Circle Afterglow, tickets are $500.

Drivers must be 18 or older, with a minimum of one year's driving experience to participate in track events.

Dress is casual.  Those who will be on the track are required to wear jeans and athletic shoes. Personal cameras and cell phones will be checked at the door, but photos and video will be available as a remembrance of the day.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Edith and Benson Ford Heart & Vascular Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and the Center for Cardiac Care at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital.

Ticket sales are limited. For more information about this event, including sponsorship opportunities, visit getyourheartracing.org or call (734) 246-9583.

About the Edith and Benson Ford Heart & Vascular Institute

With a history that spans more than 90 years, the institute has earned international recognition as a leader and innovator in comprehensive cardiovascular care, research and education.  Established in 1946, the cardiac training program is one of the longest running in the U.S., and the first in Michigan.  The program is one of only three in Michigan for advanced heart failure treatment options and one of the few programs in the U.S. offering robotically assisted laparoscopic aortic surgery.

About Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital

Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital was established in 1926.  This 401-bed acute care hospital serves the Downriver region and surrounding communities of southeast Michigan. It offers a full range of clinical services, including general medicine, surgery, birthing center and 24-hour emergency care. Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital also provides physical medicine, rehab, adult mental health and neurosurgical services. Its Henry Ford Health Center-Brownstown offers medical imaging, ambulatory surgery, 24-hour emergency care, a sleep lab and other services. Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital is a member of the Henry Ford Health System. For more information visit henryfordwyandotte.com.

SOURCE Henry Ford Health System