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IHRA: Carquest Will Continue to Sponsor Paul Romine in 1999

8 November 1998

RALIEGH, N.C. -- CARQUEST Auto Parts is proud to announce 2-time IHRA Top Fuel Dragster World Champion Paul Romine and his Indianapolis-based Aerolite Racing Top Fuel Dragster will again be sponsored by CARQUEST in 1999.

"This has been a win, win situation for CARQUEST," stated Scott Ginsburg, CARQUEST Director of Advertising. "We are extremely pleased to continue our relationship with such a great team for the 1999 season."

The 1999 drag racing season marks CARQUESTs third season backing the Paul Romine driven CARQUEST Top Fuel dragster.

"Im pleased that CARQUEST will be returning as our primary sponsor in 1999," Romine said. "We have already won two (IHRA) World Championships with CARQUEST and we are looking forward to winning a third championship with them in 1999."

Romine began his CARQUEST affiliation with a two-race sponsorship agreement, beginning at the 1997 IHRA CARQUEST Northern Nationals in Stanton, Mich. That agreement increased to a full-time sponsorship package with Romine winning the 1997 IHRA Top Fuel Championship. Romine and CARQUEST continued their affiliation in 1998 and successfully defended their IHRA championship, securing the 1998 IHRA World Championship at the last IHRA national event in Shreveport, La. In 1998, CARQUEST and Romine also teamed to raise money for the 1999 Special Olympics World Games, a program that will continue in 1999.

"I am very happy that we will continue working with CARQUEST in 1999 to raise money for the Special Olympics," Romine said. "It is a program that our team has rallied behind and it has become an important part of our race teams total program.

CARQUEST Corporation began 24 years ago with 100 auto parts stores. Today there are over 3,400 CARQUEST Auto Parts Stores serving North America.

CARQUEST supplies the professional automotive service repair industry as well as do-it-yourselfers with replacement parts, tools and equipment.

CARQUEST is committed to providing auto parts and services of the highest quality and greatest value to its customers. For the location of the CARQUEST Auto Parts Stores nearest you, call 1-800-492-PART or check out CARQUEST on the World Wide Web at CARQUEST.COM.

CARQUEST Auto Parts is the primary sponsor of two-time IHRA Top Fuel World Champion Paul Romine and title rights sponsor of the IHRA CARQUEST Empire Nationals in Rochester, NY, the IHRA CARQUEST Northern Nationals in Stanton, Mich., and the CARQUEST Autumn Nationals in Rockingham, NC. CARQUEST is also a Gold sponsor of the 1999 Special Olympics World Games to be held, June 26 - July 3, 1999 in Raleigh, NC.