The Tire Rack Chooses <i>MotorWeek</i> to Kick-off First-Ever TV Campaign

OWINGS MILLS, Md.--Award-winning PBS automotive series MotorWeek and automotive tire and accessories retailer The Tire Rack announced today the signing of a national sponsorship agreement. The Tire Rack will begin its 52-week MotorWeek sponsorship, the first of its kind for the family-run company, on October 1, 2006. The Indiana-based direct response retailer joins Cars.com, Dunlop, and The Stanley Works as MotorWeek corporate sponsors.

The Tire Rack is adding television sponsorship of MotorWeek to its media mix in its latest "Tires Are Like Shoes" campaign to expand its successful print and online advertising strategy. "Finding the right media sponsorship is like shopping for tires or shoes" said Matt Edmonds, vice president of The Tire Rack. "We want to be outfitted with the right one for the job. The Tire Rack brand has the opportunity to reach MotorWeek's dedicated automotive enthusiasts who expect trusted comparison information, just as our customers do"

John Davis, MotorWeek host and executive producer, said, "The Tire Rack"s extensive testing and commitment to being an informed source for consumers is a natural fit for MotorWeek. Our viewers depend on us for unbiased information, and they serve as opinion leaders when asked about where to buy tires and automotive accessories. We are thrilled to welcome The Tire Rack to the MotorWeek team."

About The Tire Rack

The Tire Rack, headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, is America"s largest independent tire tester and consumer direct source for tires, wheels and performance accessories. The team of 80 plus Test Drivers, the Sales Team, tests tires from every major tire manufacturer on the company"s state-of-the-art, 10-acre test facility and posts findings on the company"s website, www.tirerack.com, where consumers can make an educated decision on a tire, wheel or performance accessory purchase.

The Tire Rack has also collected results from more than 116,000 consumer surveys representing nearly 1.9 billion miles of real-world tire data, the largest known cache of such information anywhere.

Since 1979, the family-run company has grown from a single-point retail store in Indianapolis to encompass over 1.5 million square feet of warehouse space across the country. A diverse and broad in-stock inventory from 16 major tire and 31 wheel brands can be delivered anywhere in the country in two days or less. More than 4,800 independent Recommended Installers are available to service customers" installation needs nationwide.

About MotorWeek

MotorWeek, television"s original automotive magazine series, is one of the nation"s leading sources for new car reviews, automotive industry news and entertainment features. The first place to see new vehicle road tests, MotorWeek can be seen on PBS. The award-winning series is produced by Maryland Public Television and is nationally sponsored by Cars.com, Dunlop, The Tire Rack, and The Stanley Works. For information, visit www.pbs.org/motorweek.