Ford knows the importance of proper vehicle care (cont'd)

Ford's job is ensuring that all cars are equal and safe in the eyes of the NASCAR rulebook -- and that can apply to the street cars that NASCAR fans drive to the track each week, too.

Ford said that having your car inspected by a trained professional goes a long way toward making your street ride safe and sound.

"I don't want to be riding down the road in something that's going to fall apart," she said. "I don't want to be riding down the road on a set of tires that are OK if it's dry out, but not if it's wet out. As far as the safety aspects and the equipment the NASCAR drivers are wearing, that plays back into what we call civilian life. Those safety precautions, like wearing your seatbelts and such and general upkeep of a vehicle is important.

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Understand what you're driving and what it takes to maintain it properly so it will last as long as it can. Cars are expensive; people don't have a lot of money these days. Do what you can to keep up with it. It might be an expense now, but it will end up saving you a bundle of money later.

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-- PAM FORD

"If I'm riding down the interstate and I go by a guy that's got panels flapping and stuff coming out of the back of the truck, I really don't want to stick around him. The safety precautions that we take here in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, that's also very important to consumer cars on the street."

Ford has been around racing all her life, traveling the Northeast's Supermodified circuit with her parents who supplied racing fuel at tracks like Star and Lee USA Speedways in New Hampshire as well as local drag strips.

She's traveled extensively and knows what it takes to keep cars well-maintained.

"Rule of thumb: learn as much as you can about your car," Ford said. "Understand what you're driving and what it takes to maintain it properly so it will last as long as it can. Cars are expensive; people don't have a lot of money these days. Do what you can to keep up with it. It might be an expense now, but it will end up saving you a bundle of money later."

Ford got her start in NASCAR the same way a lot of people do: moving to the Charlotte area and working her way up the ladder.

"I packed my stuff and moved," Ford said. "It was a now-or-never thing for me. I moved to Mooresville with no job, no place to live, nothing other than my stuff in a horse trailer. I picked up odd jobs here and there and finally got a job with Team Caliber. I did that for about a year and then I met [NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director] John Darby and he eventually offered me a job. I started in September of 2004 as a template inspector then moved up to pit road. That's what I do now."

Ford made her dream of a career in NASCAR a reality. And now she's helping other young women who have that same ambition do the same.

Ford supports a charitable initiative called The Brienne Davis Scholarship Fund -- an endowment that provides a yearly scholarship to an aspiring female student who wishes to attend the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., to learn the skills needed for a career in motorsports. Every year, Ford, along with fellow officials, NASCAR drivers and personalities, host a "Jail & Bail" event to benefit the scholarship fund. This year's "Jail & Bail" is set for Wed., Oct. 14 at Brickhouse Tavern in Davidson, N.C.

Click here to learn how you can support and even attend the "Jail & Bail" event. You can even meet Ford in person ... just make sure your car has undergone a thorough tune-up and is ready for her inspection.