HRT Cancels Phoenix Event, Focus is on Miami
HRT AND CICLON SCRATCH PHOENIX EVENT Team, sponsor will focus efforts on the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 4, 2002) – The Hispanic Racing Team (HRT Motorsports) has decided not to enter this week’s Bashas’ 200 at Phoenix International Raceway with the No. 09 CICLON Energy Drink Chevrolet. Instead the team will turn its attention to Miami, where it will compete in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series season finale. Roberto Guerrero was originally scheduled to make his stock car racing debut at Atlanta with the team but qualifying was rained out, sending the part-time team home early. Now the team and sponsor have both agreed to focus efforts on Miami, where HRT made its own NASCAR debut in 1999, instead of making the long haul out to Phoenix. “CICLON Energy Drink has not fully built its channel of distribution in Phoenix and in the West Coast,” said Mike Vazquez, co-owner of HRT. “So we decided to concentrate our efforts on Miami, a huge Hispanic market with a high concentration of NASCAR fans. We are disappointed because Phoenix is such a great track and area, and because Roberto has a great history there, winning a CART race there a few years back. But one thing we have learned in our four years in NASCAR is that we have to roll with the punches and play the cards that we are dealt…and that’s what we are doing.” ABOUT HRT Motorsports: HRT Motorsports was established in 1999 in order to add diversity and create a new fan base within NASCAR. HRT Motorsports is the first Hispanic-owned, -sponsored and -driven NASCAR team. HRT maximizes its sponsors' demographic reach and fan-potential on three continents by enlisting two well-known auto-racing personalities within the Hispanic community: Roberto Guerrero and brother, Jaime. Both drivers are joining forces for the first time, bringing their experience and dedicated fan base to America's speedways. <http://www.hrtmotorsports.com/> www.hrtmotorsports.com ABOUT CiclÓn INTERNATIONAL S.A. Founded in 1996, produced in Austria and now headquartered in Panama City, Panama with sales and marketing in Puerto Rico, CiclÓn Energy Drink is fortified with vitamins C, B2, B6, and B12. CiclÓn Energy Drink launched in Puerto Rico last year and was No. 1 in its category within only seven months. CICLÓN thinks global and acts local in both their sales and marketing approach, making HRT Motorsports and NASCAR obvious partners. www.ciclon.com <http://www.ciclon.com/> # # # -- Tracey Waid Public Relations Representative TMDG - The Motorsports Decisions Group 704.547.1998 / 704.547.1870 Fax http://www.tmdg.net <http://www.tmdg.net/>