Car Lover Embarks on Ultimate Challenge: Living in His Vehicle for 75,000 Minutes to Win $75,000; MaxLife Car Lovers Challenge Raises $1 per Mile for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

    LEXINGTON, Ky.--May 7, 2001--Sam Walters is like many Americans as they hop in their reliable ride and set off on a summer road trip, except Walters loves his car so much he's vowed to live in his 1991 Acura Integra for 75,000 minutes (52 days, two hours) as he tries to complete the MaxLife Car Lover's Challenge for $75,000.
    Walters, a.k.a. The MaxLife Motor Oil Guy, will begin his trek criss-crossing the United States on May 7 in Lexington, Ky. and will attempt to visit more than 40 cities in his journey, including Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Boston and he will finish the Challenge in New York on June 28.
    "We are thrilled to have Sam Walters participate in the MaxLife Car Lovers Challenge because he exudes the commitment and passion Americans have for preserving their high-mileage cars," said James J. O'Brien, president of Valvoline. "We are looking forward to tracking his journey on Valvoline.com/carlovers every mile of the way."
    Before Walters hit the road, Valvoline gave his Integra, with nearly 110,000 miles, a complete tune-up using Valvoline's MaxLife motor oil. MaxLife is the first motor oil specially formulated for higher mileage engines. It is designed to help slow the aging process and help maximize the life of a vehicle's engine.
    Walters beat out more than 750 would-be Challengers who submitted essays about why they love their high-mileage cars to earn the right to travel around the country for 52 days. Originally from Washington, D.C., Walters, 27, now resides in Los Angeles. Walters graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and is an avid fan of football, auto racing and lacrosse.
    In addition to paying Sam $75,000 for completing the challenge, Valvoline will donate $1 per mile to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Walters' forfeits the prize if he breaks contact with his car at any time during the challenge except for a 10-minute break every two hours.
    Stay tuned to the MaxLife Car Lover's Challenge and read Walters' online diary while he is on the road, visit www.valvoline.com/carlovers.

    The Valvoline Company, a division of Ashland Inc., has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil company and is a leading innovator and supplier of quality, high-performing automotive and industrial products in more than 140 countries. Best known for its lubricants, Valvoline also markets Eagle One appearance products, Zerex antifreeze, SynPower Performance Products and Pyroil automotive chemicals. The company also has a stake in the growing quick-lube market with its Valvoline Instant Oil Change unit. Valvoline is a member of the Ashland Inc. family of companies. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.valvoline.com.