Final voting is open now through May 28, 2013, 12 PM EDT!

Do you share our need for speed in type 1 diabetes (T1D) research progress? Then vote for one of the 10 finalists in the 2013 Our Everyday Heroes Race Car Design Contest, hosted by Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). From now until May 28, vote for your favorite JDRF-themed race car design, submitted by a child living with T1D, by making a monetary donation to JDRF. Final judging will take place on May 29, and the winning design will be revealed June 27!

The lucky winner will receive the trip of a lifetime to the Route 66 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals in Joliet, IL, to see his or her design painted on the Funny Car driven by Bob Tasca III. Bob will drive the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car at speeds greater than 300 miles per hour during the event June 28 to 30, 2013.

Meet 2012 Our Everyday Heroes winner Libby Ledford

Twelve-year-old Libby Ledford of Stanton, MI, saw her race car design roar to life last summer. Diagnosed with T1D at age eight, Libby comes from a family that “eats, sleeps, and breathes” auto racing. She is an avid drag racer, as are her father, Jeff, and brother, Lane. When the Ledfords learned about the FCSD Race Car Design Contest for JDRF, Libby set to work and submitted a colorful combination of her best ideas. Friends and family voted online by making donations, and Libby’s design won. Her artwork appeared on the NHRA Funny Car, driven by Bob Tasca III at the July race in Norwalk, OH. The 2012 contest raised $24,819 for JDRF, and Libby’s drawing earned $1,915.

Libby’s mother, Denise Ledford, says her daughter’s win “felt like it was meant to be.” For Libby, the most exciting moment came when the Tasca team pulled back the cover from the car and revealed her design. “It was amazing how they put exactly what I drew on the car,” Libby says.

The Norwalk race may be over, but the pace of Libby’s life as a sixth grader hasn’t slowed. In addition to drag racing on most summer weekends, Libby plays softball, volleyball, and basketball. Denise says Libby has never let T1D hold her back. “If anything, she is more disciplined and has more energy than any kid I know.”

The Ledfords view the friendships they developed with the team of FCSD, JDRF, and Bob Tasca III as lifelong connections and keep in touch with everyone. Ford Motor Company is JDRF’s largest global partner. Last year, Ford contributed more than $3 million to JDRF. The Race Car Design Contest is just one of the many unique programs that Ford conducts to help fund T1D research and support the JDRF community.

To see your favorite design in action, please vote at fordracecar.jdrf.org.