Alex Garcia to Kick Off 2009 At NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – January 12, 2009: In preparation for the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Transnet Racing driver Alex Garcia will make his first personal appearance of the year at NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway. Garcia, who participated in the road course races in 2007 and 2008, will be running an expanded limited schedule this season in the No. 98 Dixien/OmniSource Chevrolet.

NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest will take place Friday, January 16th and Saturday, January 17th at the Sprint FanZone at Daytona International Speedway and will consist of autograph sessions, fan Q&A, and driver availability to the media. Fan Fest tickets are $15 each and autograph sessions are limited to 100 per driver.

Alex Garcia is scheduled to appear in the second of three driver sessions, held on January 17th from 12:00 – 4:00 PM. Other drivers scheduled to appear in the same session are Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, David Ragan, Colin Braun, Erik Darnell, and Paul Menard.

Fan Fest marks the end of a very exciting off-season for Alex Garcia, which included the birth of his second child, daughter Angelina on December 20th. 2009 will be Garcia's third season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series; he made his debut in the 2007 race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City Mexico, becoming the first Venezuelan to race in NASCAR.