Harley-Davidson and Ford Motor Company join forces in a new strategic alliance that brings together two of America's most powerful brands. The alliance paves the way for a series of technical and marketing ventures, the first of which is Ford's sponsorship of the Harley-Davidson Superbike racing program.
The alliance is a very good fit according to Jim O'Conner, president of Ford Division: "Sponsoring Harley-Davidson's Superbike team is a logical step for us given our strong commitment to other race series around the world, such as NASCAR, Formula One and CART Series."
Jeffrey L. Bleustein, chairman of Harley-Davidson is equally optimistic: "Ford's involvement with our Superbike team is just the first step in our joint technical and marketing activities. The opportunities for synergy are intriguing."
Appropriately enough, the alliance was announced at the annual Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida. With Ford as a sponsor of the Superbike racing program, Harley-Davidson wasted no time donning the blue oval on a pair of VR 1000s.
Team Harley racers Scott Russell and Pascal Picotte begin their MBNA Superbike Tour at the Daytona 200 on March 6th. The 13-race AMA Superbike series runs from March through October.
The union of Ford and Harley-Davidson--the only U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer-- will culminate in 2003, the centennial for both companies.
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