DEARBORN, Michigan, October 1, 2003 - Ford Racing Technology has
dissolved its formal association with Jasper Motorsports in NASCAR's
Winston Cup Series.
Jasper Motorsports, which was under contract to field the #77 Jasper
Engines Ford Taurus for the entire 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season,
violated a fundamental provision in its agreement with Ford Motor Company
by competing in last Sunday's EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in
a Dodge.
Over the weekend, Ford informed the team that it was in breach of
contract. On Tuesday, the automaker declared the contract null and void
and informed the team that it would repossess all existing Ford assets
and discontinue further operational support.
"What happened at Talladega was unacceptable," said Greg Specht, manager
of Ford Racing Operations. "To be a Ford team, you have to run a Ford."
-ford racing-
