FORT WORTH/DALLAS
FOR RELEASE: August 30, 2001Drivers Hit The Road For Chevy 500 Road Trip
FORT WORTH/DALLAS - Al Unser, Jr. of the Indy Racing Northern Light Series, David Starr, driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and motorcycle daredevil Kaptain Robbie Knievel will be hitting the road together to meet racing fans everywhere during the Chevy 500 Road Trip Sept. 4-7.
Texas Motor Speedway General Manager Eddie Gossage and Nate Love, regional marketing manager for Chevrolet Car, will also be part of the caravan as it makes stops at Chevrolet dealerships in seven cities to promote the Sept. 15 Silverado 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and the Sept. 16 Chevy 500 Indy Racing Northern Light Series event at Texas Motor Speedway.
Knievel will also be featured during the race weekend as he attempts the "$10 Million Texas Indy Car Jump," a flight of more than 175 feet over 20 Indy Cars prior to the Sept. 16 Chevy 500.
"The Chevy 500 Road Trip is a great promotional tool for us," said Gossage. "What better way to spread the word about the championship Indy Racing event, one of the best truck races of the year and the world's most famous daredevil's latest feat than to have the best in motorsports themselves talk about the sport that they love.
"This will most likely be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many fans to meet Al Unser, Jr., David Starr and Robbie Knievel," said Gossage. "Hopefully, they'll meet them and then come to watch them do their thing during the Chevy 500 race week."
The Chevy 500 Road Trip will make stops in:
Abilene and Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Sept. 4; Corpus Christi and Austin on Wednesday, Sept. 5; New Orleans and Houston on Thursday, Sept. 6; and finally, Dallas on Friday, Sept. 7. Each stop is slated to go three hours, with morning dealership visits scheduled from 9:00 a.m.-Noon and afternoon sessions from 3:00-6:00 p.m.
"This is a great opportunity for us to tie in some of our dealerships with our sponsorship of both upcoming races at Texas Motor Speedway," said Love. "It's uncommon for a company to sponsor two major races on the same weekend at the same speedway. But at Chevrolet, we pride ourselves on being first in a lot of categories. Sponsoring both the Silverado 350 and Chevy 500 is just one of the many ways Chevrolet remains a standout in motorsports."
The pace will be non-stop for the Chevy 500 Road Trip participants as they trek around the Southwest. Each participating dealership, in conjunction with radio partners, will invite fans to come to the dealership to welcome the Road Trip.
After arriving at each stop, the group will talk about their careers as well as the Chevy 500 race week activities. They will also take time to meet and greet the fans who come to the event, answering questions and signing autographs.
Driver Al Unser, Jr. is looking forward to both the event and the race to follow.
"It sounds like the Road Trip is going to be a lot of fun for us and the fans," said Unser. "As for racing, I remember competing for the first time at Texas last year. It was one of the best times I've had behind the wheel of a race car. It's just a first-class facility, and the wheel-to-wheel racing is some of the most exciting out there for the fans and the drivers. The Chevy 500 will be no exception. Hopefully the No. 3 Galles Racing Starz Super Pak car will finish on top."
David Starr, who finished third in the June truck race at Texas, is also happy to be along for the ride.
"I'm ready to get out and meet some of the great truck fans around this part of the country," said Starr. "I'm also ready for the Silverado 350. Texas Motor Speedway is my home track and I really enjoy racing there more than anywhere. We're hoping to put the #3 Chasco Contracting Chevrolet in Victory Lane this time around."
Kaptain Robbie Knievel will attempt $10 million Indy Car Jump 11/2 hours prior to the start of the Chevy 500.
"I'm really looking forward to jumping at Texas Motor Speedway," said Knievel. "Not only am I jumping 10 million dollars worth of Indy Cars, it will be another huge record to add to my 31-year jumping career. "