Dempsey Racing, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Team Up for Rolex 24 At Daytona

The No. 40 Mazda RX-8 will Sport Pink Trim to Support Breast Cancer Awareness

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. January 4, 2009: Dempsey Racing will partner with the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer for the 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and will carry pink trim on the black and white No. 40 Mazda RX-8 driven by Patrick Dempsey, Joe Foster and Charles Espenlaub.

The team will compete in the GT class of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 in the January 24-25 event, the 47th running of America's premier sports car race.

"Real men can wear pink," said Dempsey, who races in the Rolex Series when his busy shooting schedule for the popular television program, Grey's Anatomy, allows. "All of us at Dempsey Racing are proud to partner with the Avon Foundation in its fight against breast cancer. By wearing pink on our suits and on our cars, we hope to raise awareness for this important cause and for an extraordinary series of events: the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer."

Dempsey made his first start in the Rolex 24 last year, his first of 10 races. His best finish was ninth at Montreal. In addition to racing in the Rolex Series, Foster won the KONI Sports Car Challenge Grand Sports championship, co-driving the Hyper Sport Ford Mustang with Canadian Scott Maxwell.

"I am so proud to support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which raises funds that directly save lives," Dempsey said. "To help inspire fundraising for this important cause, there will be a special contest for top fundraisers - you can visit the web site avonwalk.org for details on how you can win a chance to meet me and my racing team."

Dempsey and Foster are co-owners of Hyper Sport Racing. The team's Rolex effort will be under the new Dempsey Racing banner beginning with the Rolex 24.

The Avon Walk series is a project of the Avon Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, encompassing nine weekend-long walk events that attract thousand of participants and raise significant funds to ensure that everyone can get the breast cancer screening, support and treatment they require, and to fund research to ultimately eradicate breast cancer. The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer series has raised more than $265 million from 2003-2008.

"While two very different types of endurance events, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and sports car racing have the common tie of the mental and physical stamina required to achieve success," Dempsey said. "With that juxtaposition in mind, a special contest for top fundraisers of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer will be unveiled during The Rolex 24 at Daytona, January 24-25, 2009."

Contest winners will have the opportunity to meet Dempsey and his team at the Rolex 24. For more information visit AVON WALK.