NAPA to Sponsor Orleans Racing Entry in 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

ATLANTA, Oct. 26 -- NAPA AUTO PARTS today announced that it will serve as primary sponsor of the Orleans Racing entry in the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The Las Vegas-based team will field a Dodge Ram truck for reigning NASCAR Winston West Champion Brendan Gaughan, who will enter his first full season of Truck Series competition and compete for both the overall championship and Rookie-of-the-Year honors.

Racing full time in the NASCAR Winston West Series with sponsorship from NAPA for the past two seasons, Gaughan earned the 2000 Winston West championship and currently leads the 2001 point standings with one race remaining. In a handful of Truck Series starts, Gaughan already has earned a third-place finish at Bakersfield and a second at Texas Motor Speedway.

``Brendan and the Orleans Racing team have done an outstanding job for us in the past,'' said NAPA AUTO PARTS President Steve Handschuh. ``They are a very professional organization and we are looking forward to another great season together in 2002.''

``We are really excited and proud to have NAPA's national backing as we enter the Truck Series full time in 2002,'' said Orleans Racing team owner Bill McAnally. ``We have worked with NAPA on a regional basis for a number of years and couldn't ask for a better sponsor. Their aggressive, upbeat marketing and attention to detail fit right in with racing, and their association with our team has been and continues to be extremely beneficial.''

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the third of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing's three major touring series. Founded in 1995, the Truck Series features pickup trucks that produce more than 700 horsepower and reach speeds of 190 miles per hour. The series covered 24 events at tracks throughout the United States in 2001.

NAPA has a long and successful sponsorship history in major league motor racing, including backing many of the sport's top drivers, teams and events. The company currently serves as primary sponsor of the Daytona 500-winning NAPA Chevrolet owned by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and driven by Michael Waltrip in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. NAPA sponsored multiple events in the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series in 2001.

NAPA has been behind two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championships as sponsor of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and driver Ron Hornaday.

NAPA AUTO PARTS maintains the world's largest inventory of ready-to-ship aftermarket parts, accessories, tools and equipment offered through more than 6,000 NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and more than 10,000 NAPA AutoCare Centers nationwide.