Automobile Club of Southern California New Title Sponsor of April NASCAR Winston Cup Series Race at California Speedway
Auto Club 500 Replaces NAPA Auto Parts 500 as Event Name
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FONTANA, Calif., Feb. 10 -- The Automobile Club of Southern California today signed a multi-year agreement to be the title sponsor for the April NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at the Southern California-based superspeedway.
The Auto Club 500 is scheduled for April 27, 2003, at California Speedway.
California Speedway President Bill Miller and Automobile Club of Southern California President and CEO Thomas V. McKernan Jr. made the announcement.
"The partnership between the Automobile Club of Southern California and California Speedway continues to grow," said Miller. "Auto Club has been a tremendous partner since the speedway opened in 1997. They have added California Speedway, and in particular this NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, to their legacy as leaders in motorsports sponsorship and development. With the Auto Club's vast resources and large membership base, we are confident the Auto Club 500 will continue as one of the most anticipated events in Southern California and on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit."
An original California Speedway corporate partner, The Auto Club's relationship with California Speedway began in 1997 with the Auto Club 200 Inaugural NASCAR Winston West Series race. The company moved its sponsorship to the NASCAR Busch Series race in 1999 with the Auto Club 300, continuing with that event through the 2002 race. Auto Club replaces NAPA as the title sponsor.
"For the Automobile Club of Southern California, our rich motorsports heritage dates back one hundred years to 1903 and the Huntington Cup event on a dirt track at Exposition Park," said McKernan. "Now, a full century later, we are proud to author a new chapter in our legacy with title sponsorship of this prestigious NASCAR Winston Cup event hosted by a world-class facility -- the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.
"The automobile has played an integral role in the Southern California lifestyle, and interwoven throughout is the immense popularity of motorsports and NASCAR," continued McKernan. "Here at the Auto Club, our credo 'We're Always With You' is as applicable within the gates of California Speedway as it is on our city streets and highways. An event of this magnitude offers us tremendous marketing visibility with an outstanding opportunity to expand our brand awareness, broaden our membership base and create additional value for our existing members."
The Automobile Club of Southern California will have a sponsorship presence at all of California Speedway's 2003 events, including the April 4-6 Yamaha Superbike Challenge AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship; throughout the April 25-27 NASCAR Weekend, which features the Pontiac WideTrack Grand Prix 200 NASCAR Winston West Series race and the NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, April 26; June 6-8 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Weekend; June 20-22 Southern California Historic SportsCar Festival; September 19-21 Indy Racing League Toyota Indy 400 and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series American Racing Wheels 200 Weekend; and the November 1-2 CART Champ Car Weekend.
Individual tickets for the Auto Club 500 and all of California Speedway's 2003 events are on sale. For additional information and tickets log on to www.californiaspeedway.com or call 1-800-944-RACE (7223).
In addition to its involvement at California Speedway, the Auto Club's extensive motorsports program is highlighted by title sponsorship of the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Pomona Raceway, major associate sponsorship of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and sponsorship of the John Force Racing Team in NHRA Funny Car competition.
The Auto Club's motorsports program also serves as a forum to educate young men and women, reaching out to thousands of high school students each year to motivate them to prepare for life after graduation and to inform them about career opportunities in automotive technology fields.
Nearly 70 Auto Club offices from San Diego to Bishop serve members of 13 Southern California counties with a variety of automotive services, insurance services, travel discounts and planning, roadside assistance and financial services. For more information on the Automobile Club of Southern California and its services, log on to www.aaa-calif.com.
California Speedway is owned by International Speedway Corporation
(BULLETIN BOARD: ISCB) , a leading promoter of motorsports activities in the United States, currently promoting more than 100 events annually. For more information, visit the company's website at www.iscmotorsports.com.
