Governor Barnes Drops the Green Flag on Georgia-Pacific's Teen Safety 500; NASCAR Driver Buckshot Jones Urges Teens to Put Safety First

       Area High School Students Compete to Earn One Million Safe Miles

    ATLANTA, Aug. 27 The Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety 500, led
by NASCAR Winston Cup driver Buckshot Jones, got the green flag from Governor
Roy Barnes today, as thousands of area teens from two rival high schools
joined this national model program to encourage and reward safe, responsible
teen driving.  The Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety 500 challenges students at
Tucker and Lakeside high schools to achieve and record 500 crash- and
violation-free miles, earning thousands of dollars for their schools as well
as prizes for their own participation.
    Governor Barnes and Buckshot Jones, driver of the Georgia-Pacific #44
Dodge Intrepid for Petty Enterprises, were joined by Georgia-Pacific Chairman
and CEO A. D. (Pete) Correll; Richard Petty, seven-time Winston Cup Champion;
Gary Butler, Regional Program Manager, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA); and Commissioner Robert Hightower, Department of
Public Safety, at today's launch event at Tucker High School.  Leading their
student contingents were Robert Moseley, principal, Tucker High School and
Randall Lee, principal, Lakeside High School, Dekalb County.
    The goal of the G-P Teen Safety 500 is to log one million crash- and
violation-free miles.  Georgia-Pacific will provide students special
incentives to put safety first, contributing more than $10,000 in cash and
prizes to eight participating schools this fall.  The program will run in four
states, coinciding with NASCAR race weekends here in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dover
and Richmond.
    "Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young people under 25,
with our teen drivers greatly at risk.  We applaud Georgia-Pacific, Buckshot
Jones and Petty Enterprises for creating an innovative program that reminds
young drivers that safety must come first," said Gov. Barnes.  "Georgia-
Pacific's donations to these participating schools echoes our commitment to
educating our students about driving safety."
    To participate in the G-P Teen Safety 500, students will register at the
Georgia-Pacific Web site http://www.gp.com .  Once registered, students will
receive a free order of fries from participating McDonald's as well as a free
value meal when they complete the challenge.  The students also will receive a
racing card providing safe driving tips.
    Each student is encouraged to log his or her crash- and violation-free
miles over the next five weeks with a goal of achieving 500 safe driving
miles.  Tucker and Lakeside high schools will each receive a $1,000
contribution from G-P, with the school recording the highest number of crash-
and violation-free miles as a percentage of their eligible student population
receiving an additional $500 bonus.  A prize package consisting of two MP3
players and Blockbuster free movie rental coupons also will be provided to
each school to award to participants.  Andretti Speed Lab will provide each
school with two entertainment prize packs, which include one temporary racing
license, one race heat, one rock wall experience and one zip line experience.
In addition, it will provide each school a spot in the VW/Andretti Teen
Driving Lab to use as a student prize.
    "I'm working with Georgia-Pacific to remind you to think safety every time
you get behind the wheel.  I know I do," Jones told teens.  "Take control of
your life by staying in control when you drive.  Wear your seat belt, watch
the speed and keep your mind on the road.  We've lost over 68,000 teens to
traffic crashes in the last decade.  What you do as a driver can save your
life or the life of a friend.  Be smart and be safe."
    The finale of the G-P Teen Safety 500 will be held at Atlanta Motor
Speedway in November at the last race of the Winston Cup Series.  The
principal of the winning school from each of the participating states will
receive a trip to the NAPA 500 to take part in the program's closing event.
    "At Georgia-Pacific, we make products that make us feel at home.
Encouraging safe teen driving is a perfect match for our focus on home and
family," related Pete Correll, Georgia-Pacific Chairman and CEO.  "As a young
NASCAR driver himself, Buckshot remembers the excitement of those early
driving years, but has a unique understanding of the danger that even off-
track driving presents.  We encourage teens to listen to his message, drive
responsibly and to take part in the G-P Teen Safety 500 to enjoy the rewards
of safety."
    "The Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety 500 provides parents and teens a chance
to talk about the responsibilities of driving.  We must remind teens to adopt
driving habits that can save their lives," added Jones.  After a successful
stint with the NASCAR Busch Series, Buckshot is completing his first full year
with the Winston Cup Series.  A Georgia native and a graduate of Tucker High
School and the University of Georgia, Jones is part of the Petty Enterprises
team that also includes Kyle Petty and John Andretti.
    Georgia-Pacific has a long-tradition of motorsports involvement, including
a past sponsorship with Petty Enterprises.  The company made the move to the
Winston Cup Series this year as the lead sponsor for Buckshot Jones.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific is one of the world's leading
manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, building products and
related chemicals.  With annual sales of approximately $27 billion, the
company employs more than 85,000 people at 600 locations in North America and
Europe.  Its familiar consumer tissue brands include Quilted Northern(R),
Angel Soft(R), Brawny(R), Sparkle(R), Soft 'N Gentle(R), Mardi Gras(R), So-
Dri(R), Green Forest(R) and Vanity Fair(R), as well as the Dixie(R) brand of
disposable cups, plates and cutlery.  For the last 8 years, Georgia-Pacific
has been the safest company in the forest products industry.

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