SPECIAL EVENT (DAYTONA) - NASCAR Nationwide Series Logo Unveiled

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Nationwide Insurance today unveiled the logo for the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The introduction of the new logo is the latest step for the series’ transition to Nationwide as its title sponsor, after 26 years of sponsorship by Anheuser-Busch’s Busch brand. NASCAR and Nationwide announced a seven-year partnership agreement on Oct. 3, which also made the insurance company the official auto, home and life insurance provider of NASCAR.

The logo was designed by St. Louis, Mo.-based Jump Co., following collaboration between NASCAR and Nationwide.

“The logo is simple yet extremely effective in delivering a completely new look to the branding of the series,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s chief marketing officer. “It’s good to be able to place a ‘face’ to a name now.”

"Nationwide is pleased to be able share the new NASCAR Nationwide Series logo today," said James Lyski, chief marketing officer for Nationwide. "Over the next several years, Nationwide intends to make this series the finest entertainment experience in racing."

The quest for the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series championship will begin on Feb. 16, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway. The series, which features 35 races at 26 tracks located in 20 states and two countries – Canada and Mexico – is exclusively broadcast on ESPN2 and ABC.

About Nationwide Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $160 billion in assets. Nationwide ranks No. 104 on the Fortune 500 list. The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, the Nationwide Framemark and On Your Side are federally registered service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.

About NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body for one of America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S., the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in over 100 countries, and has 75 million fans in the U.S. These fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three major national series (the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions 1,300 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto.