'Countdown to Daytona': A Look at Dodge's Return To NASCAR

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 6 Set to premiere prior to the
start of the 2001 Daytona 500, "Countdown to Daytona," produced by
Freewheelin' Films, is a fast-paced half-hour tribute to American ingenuity as
it chronicles Dodge's triumphant return to the NASCAR Winston Cup racing
series.
    The network premiere of "Countdown to Daytona" is Sunday, February 18th at
11:30 a.m. EST (10:30 a.m. Central, 9:30 a.m. Mountain and 8:30 a.m. PST) on
FOX.  Hosted by veteran actor and Dodge spokesman Edward Herrmann, "Countdown
to Daytona" offers an in-depth look at the world of stock car racing, the
fastest growing professional sport in America, and follows the Dodge team as
they develop and build a competitive race car, assemble a crack team of owners
and drivers and select NASCAR's leading team owner, Ray Evernham as the
driving force behind the "One Team" effort.
    "We're as excited as our fans are about returning to racing," said Jim
Julow, vice president of Dodge.  "This program is a thrilling
behind-the-scenes look at an extraordinary team of individuals who worked
tirelessly to ensure that Dodge would re-enter NASCAR in top form."
    "Countdown to Daytona" follows the path Dodge took for its return to
racing and provides an in-depth look at one of the top stories in the racing
world over the past year.  The program's drama and excitement builds as the
team works round-the-clock and gets closer to its debut at the
2001 Daytona 500.
    At the center of the program's story is NASCAR Winston Cup stock car
racing, a sport that has enjoyed an explosive surge of popularity in the U.S.
over the past few years.  Back in the 1970s, Dodge, along with Ford and
Chevrolet ruled the racing circuits throughout the country.  After a 13 year
winning streak, in the late 1970s Dodge decided to retire from racing.  As the
sport has continued to grow, company officials took another look and late in
1999, in what would become one of the top stories of the motorsports world,
announced its return to the circuit.
    Led by veteran team owner Ray Evernham, the team has spent 500 days
assembling a coalition of engineers, designers, team owners, drivers and
mechanics to build a brand new race car from the ground up.
    "Building a NASCAR team is like building and managing any other kind of
professional sporting team," said Ray Evernham, Dodge team owner.  "It takes
extraordinary individuals working together seamlessly to achieve a goal, which
is exactly what we've got and we can't wait to show the world on race day!"