Stewart, Wallace Claim WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards at Bristol

GASTONIA, N.C. (March 30, 2006) - Drivers Tony Stewart and Steve Wallace won the WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards during the March 25-26, 2006 NASCAR weekend.

Drivers in NASCAR's three elite series compete to lead the most laps in each race and win the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award in a season-long competition that awards Lap Leader points and cash prizes. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series did not compete last weekend.

Stewart, who won both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship and the WIX Filters Lap Leader title in 2005, earned his first Lap Leader Award of the 2006 season at Bristol Motor Speedway. He is tied for second place in the NEXTEL Cup Series Lap Leader point standings, one point behind Greg Biffle.

Wallace, son of NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, took home his first WIX Filters Lap Leader Award in the Busch Series with his performance at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The WIX Filters Lap Leader Award is presented to the driver who leads the most laps during each race in NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck racing series. The award includes a cash prize presented to the winning driver during a ceremony before the next race and an end-of-year payout and trophy for the driver who earns the most WIX Filters Lap Leader awards over the course of the entire season. Cash awards for the end-of-year honor are: $75,000 for the NEXTEL Cup Series; $20,000 for the Busch Series; and, $10,000 for the Craftsman Truck Series.

In order to be eligible for the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award for a single event, drivers and teams in each series must run the WIX Filters decal on the front fender and use WIX oil or air filters in their vehicles. Additionally, for any year-end payout, teams must run the decal on the front fender for every race they participate in, with an allowance for one race, and they must always use WIX oil or air filters.

In 2006, WIX will again sponsor the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award contest, enabling fans to be a part of the action. The online contest encourages fans to pit their knowledge against one another and against celebrity guest experts in a weekly competition to predict which drivers will win the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award in each race.

Fans can make picks by visiting www.wixlapleader.com each week and compete for prizes including Richard Petty Driving Experience certificates, WIX Filters premium products, and apparel. The grand prize for the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award contest is an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 2007 NEXTEL Cup Series race. Detailed contest rules and prize information are provided on the Web site.

Since 1939, WIX has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment. WIX, a member of the Affinia family of brands, is the #1 filter in NASCAR and an exclusive NASCAR Performance Product. Its NASCAR relationship also includes the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award, which recognizes the drivers leading the most laps in each race. WIX Filters' Internet address is www.wixfilters.com.