Eight-year-old Liam Flanagan from Williamstown, NJ, has won Ford customer service division’s (FCSD) Funny Car design contest held in support of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Flanagan’s design beat 300 competing designs over six weeks of voting on jdrf.org/ford (from July 1 to August 14).
The winning ‘Take a Walk in Our Shoes’ paint scheme will be featured on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Funny Car during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, from today (September 18) to September 20.
“In history class we’re learning about the Presidents, and that’s why I drew the American Flag on the car,” said Flanagan, explaining what inspired his design.
The Flanagan family, along with NHRA driver Bob Tasca III and representatives from FCSD, unveiled the design yesterday at Tasca’s race shop in Concord, NC.
Today, the family will attend their first NHRA race and watch the JDRF-themed Shelby Mustang qualify for the Second Annual NHRA Carolina Nationals.
“I’ve never been to a race before,” said Liam. “My mom and dad, grandparents, sisters and I are so excited to watch Bob drive the car with my design on it.”
Flanagan raised $5,200 for JDRF with his design, the most of any designer.
“Liam’s design looks fantastic on the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang,” said Brett Wheatley, director of marketing, FCSD. “It’s so great to see someone so young help raise awareness for such a special and deserving cause. I’d like to thank all of our generous race fans who donated more than $39,000 towards finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.”
“The Mustang looks awesome,” said Bob Tasca III.
“It’s an honor for me to race in that all-American hot rod, but the true stars of this
weekend are Liam and his family,” he added.
I think the design is cute, but not really ‘funny’. Something leads me to imagine neither did Liam think it was funny – probably it the most business-like stuff the eight-year-old ever did.
