Pontiac Unveils 2003 NASCAR Race Car; Daytona 500 Pace Car Contest; Movie Sweepstakes
FOR RELEASE: August 1, 2002Pontiac Unveils 2003 NASCAR Race Car; Daytona 500 Pace Car Contest; Movie Sweepstakes
INDIANAPOLIS- Further strengthening its commitment to remaining a serious competitor in Winston Cup racing, Pontiac today took the wraps off its new 2003 Grand Prix NASCAR race car prior to this weekend's Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.
NASCAR recently approved the design of the new Pontiac, which will make its racing debut at the 2003 Daytona 500 in February.
"The excitement level surrounding NASCAR and Winston Cup racing just keeps getting higher and higher, and Pontiac intends to be right in the middle of it," said Pontiac-GMC General Manager Lynn Myers. "This new race car is additional proof that we are committed to supplying the necessary resources for our Pontiac teams to compete for the championship."
"NASCAR will continue to be a vital part of telling Pontiac's performance message, both on and off the track," said Bob Kraut, marketing director for the Grand Prix. "The popularity of the sport and capabilities of this new race car should transfer directly to excitement for the new 2004 Grand Prix, and the other high-performance vehicles Pontiac will be introducing in the near future."
Pontiac's new race design is the culmination of many months of work and cooperation between Pontiac racing engineers, NASCAR staff and members of the teams that will be racing the new cars.
That type of input is important to crew chief James Ince of MBV Motorsports, which fields the No. 10 Valvoline car unveiled today.
"We've been working on this race car for over a year now and it's a great feeling to be able to show it to the rest of the world today," said Ince. "For us, the new Grand Prix is something to look forward to. We know that we are going to have to work extremely hard to get the new car ready, but it's also going to be something that gives us the opportunity to go and win races and that's the business we're in."
Grand Prix Daytona 500 Pace Car Contest Announced
To celebrate both the new Grand Prix race car and Grand Prix's role as the official pace car of the 2003 Daytona 500, fans will have the chance to write their own name in racing history be designing the ultimate Daytona pace car.
Teaming up with NASCAR.com, America Online and Electronic Arts, Pontiac will offer NASCAR fans the opportunity to submit proposals for the pace car's paint scheme through an innovative on-line system beginning on September 9, 2002.
Using a unique set of software programs, fans can unleash their creativity by electronically designing a complete pace car paint scheme on a three-dimensional model of the vehicle.
"Unlike most sweepstakes, this is really a contest of skill and creativity," said Kraut. "We know that NASCAR and Pontiac fans have a lot of enthusiasm and we wanted to tap into that passion for this new pace car,"
Five finalists will be chosen from all of the entries, then fans will get to vote on-line for the favorite design. Each of the five finalists will win a trip to the 2003 Daytona 500, where the winning design will be unveiled in a special ceremony just before the race.
The winner will receive a special parade lap around Daytona driven by Vin Diesel, star of the upcoming movie XXX.
Further details of the contest will be announced at a later date.
Pontiac Announces XXX Movie Sweepstakes; Daytona 500 Prize
Another lucky fan will also be sharing the excitement of both the Daytona 500 and Vin Diesel, compliments of Pontiac and the 2004 Pontiac GTO.
Until September 30, 2002, visitors to the Pontiac GTO website have the chance to register to win a special 2003 Daytona 500 prize package, including the chance to "hang out" with Vin Diesel at the race.
Diesel stars in XXX, a high-speed espionage-themed action-thriller from Revolution Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures, about a new breed of all-American hero who happens to drive a vintage 1967 Pontiac GTO with a few "extra" options installed. XXX opens in theaters nationwide on August 9, 2002.
"Since the original GTO was introduced, it was an instant celebrity, generating an amazing amount of excitement that continues to this very day," said Kraut, who also serves as marketing manager for the new GTO. "The '67 GTO in XXX plays a major role in the movie, and it's timely exposure for us considering the introduction of the all-new GTO in late 2003."
"We are really looking forward to working with the Pontiac Division of General Motors," said Revolution Studio Partner Tom Sherak. "This has the makings of a great partnership."
As part of this new partnership, Vin Diesel will also be a guest of Pontiac at the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, August 4.
Additional information on the Pontiac-XXX Sweepstakes is available at www.pontiac.com/gto. Additional information on XXX is available from www.sonypictures.com/movies/triplex.
# # #
General Motors , the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM employs about 355,000 people around the world. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
Founded in 1908, GM today has manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries and its vehicles are sold in about 200 countries. In 2001, GM sold more than 8.5 million cars and trucks - more than any other automaker and 15.1 percent of the global vehicle market. GM has four major regional markets: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, Africa and Middle East.
In 2001, GM set industry sales records in the United States - its largest market - for total trucks and for sport utility vehicles. GM sold more than 1 million SUVs - a first for any automaker. GM also sold more full-size pickup trucks than any other manufacturer since 1978.
