NASCAR to Install Incident Black Box Data Recorders

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 16 -- Independent Witness, Inc. (IWI), a leading developer and manufacturer of patented, portable, long-life battery-powered Incident Data Recorders (IDR) commonly referred to as ``black boxes,'' today announced that the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has named the Company as its Exclusive IDR Provider.

Starting with the 2002 season, IWI's IDR, called ``The Witness,'' will be installed in all vehicles in NASCAR's Winston Cup, NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Implementation of The Witness is latest in a series of competitive safety initiatives to be introduced by NASCAR.

``This is a significant step for NASCAR, and it is also a scientific step,'' said George Pyne, Senior Vice President, NASCAR. ``It reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safer racing environment for drivers. We also are excited about the technology and the overall quality of the recorders that IWI will provide. Many NASCAR drivers have been so impressed with The Witness, that they have expressed interest in installing the product in their personal vehicles.''

How The Witness Works

The Witness is slightly smaller than a standard video tape and is installed next to the driver's seat in NASCAR vehicles. (Installation can be completed in less than 10 minutes.) The Witness monitors a vehicle's motion and, in the event of impact, records the date, time, direction, impact severity (G-force) and acceleration profile in three dimensions. The Witness has the ability to record multiple incidents in the same car (as well as multiple cars) instantaneously during the same race.

Following an accident, or at the end of the race, the data recorded by The Witness can be accessed immediately and exclusively by NASCAR. The information is automatically added to a proprietary database which will be used by NASCAR technologists to design safer cars as well as more effective safety devices.

``IWI exceeded our stringent requirements during extensive testing both on and off the track. The portability and long-life battery power makes The Witness very easy to install and remove at the track without requiring any wired interface with NASCAR vehicles,'' said Pyne. ``The Witness will be a catalyst for creating a safer environment for NASCAR drivers by providing real time data which will become a powerful tool in NASCAR's new state-of-the art technology center at Conover, North Carolina.''

Founded in 1998, IWI develops and manufactures IDRs, which provide an accurate medium for recording motion and impact severity associated with an accident -- serving as an ``Independent Witness.'' IWI's products have helped companies around the country greatly reduce fraudulent workers compensation, property and soft tissue injury claims through providing hard evidence and data to substantiate the various forces related to impact.

``The Company was founded initially with the mission to equip every passenger car in America with an IDR as a means for improving safety and fighting fraud -- now our products serve a vast array of industries,'' said Luther Perkins, Chief Executive Officer, IWI. ``We are confident with our products and very pleased to assist NASCAR with this critical safety initiative.''

In addition to the automotive industry, IWI offers products for numerous industries including shipping and handling, rail, seismic and sensitive materials handling/storing.

About Independent Witness, Inc.

Independent Witness, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of patented, portable long-life battery-powered Incident Data Recorders (IDR), commonly referred to as ``black boxes.'' The Company is dedicated to securing the assets of its customers by providing low cost monitoring solutions. For information about IWI's products, contact Dave P. Clark at 801-866-2255 ext. 221, or visit http://www.iwiwitness.com . IWI's press announcements and other company information are available at http://www.iwiWitness.com/news.html