Drag racing is a numbers game. Speeds, elapsed times, and horsepower are just a few areas where great numbers are key to victory.

Through the use of an online fundraising contest for the design that will appear on Bob Tasca III’s Shelby Mustang Funny Car during the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), have brought forth a new set of great numbers and statistics into the world of drag racing.

Following five weeks of collecting designs from JDRF kids, close to 500 donations for 301 car designs, has resulted in more than $30,000 in donations for type 1 diabetes research.

“The amount of attention and donations that our JDRF contest has received from people from  across the country has really been overwhelming,” said Al Giombetti, Ford Customer Service Division executive director. “All of us here at Ford are really excited about how big this contest has become. The goal of JDRF is to raise funds for type 1 diabetes research, and we’re very proud to be doing our part for JDRF kids.”

Voting for JDRF car designs continues through July 31 on www.jdrf.org/ford, where the public can place a monetary vote for their favorite design. The 301 separate designs have come from kids in 42 local JDRF chapters across the country.

The top five, donation-earning designs will then be narrowed down to one, and that winning design will be featured on Tasca’s Shelby Mustang Funny Car during the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Aug. 29 – Sept. 1.

The winning designer will be chosen on August 4, 2008, and invited to Indianapolis for an official unveiling of their paint design, and a chance to visit with the Tasca team and see their car design run during qualifications for the race.