UPS Puts Minority Students on NASCAR's Fast Track; Five Scholarship Recipients Attending NASCAR Technical Institute

    ATLANTA--Dec. 6, 2002--With the official close of the 2002 Winston Cup season at hand with tonight's championship banquet, UPS is recognizing its five UPS Racing Technical Edge Scholarship recipients.
    These future minority NASCAR drivers, crew members and technicians are currently enrolled in the new NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) in Mooresville, N.C., and are receiving the benefits of these UPS scholarship funds totaling $80,000.
    The scholarship program unites two important UPS goals: to encourage diversity and advance educational opportunity. UPS, an avid supporter of the sport's growing and diverse fan base, actively participates on the NASCAR Diversity Council and is working to introduce minority supplier opportunities to NASCAR.
    During the enrollment process for NTI, UPS scholarship recipients were selected based on financial need, automotive work experience and automotive-related career goals. Five more minority students will participate in the program next year.
    Among the recipients is Lael McMurry, a 19-year old woman from Tularosa, N.M. McMurry holds a lifelong passion for stock car racing, a devotion that has taken her from learning about automotive technology to actually competing on local racetracks for the past four years.
    To fulfill her desire to work at Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), whose founder is also Lael's long-time role model, she began classes at the NASCAR Technical Institute in August and plans to graduate in September 2003.
    "I am thrilled and grateful to UPS for selecting me for one of these scholarships," said McMurry. "Automotive technology and racing are two of my greatest passions, and having the opportunity to attend the NASCAR Technical Institute is a dream fulfilled."
    "UPS has paved the road ahead for these students, but they must excel in the rigorous NTI program to position themselves in this competitive industry," said Dana Holliday, manager of UPS Motorsports Employee & Community Programs. "We put that same challenge to our own UPS service technicians to master the technology and diagnostics to keep our vehicle fleet at top performance, especially during this, our busy peak season of holiday deliveries."
    Additional UPS Racing Technical Edge Scholarship Recipients include:
    Reginald Douthit, Winston-Salem, N.C.: Douthit began taking classes at the NTI when it opened in July and forecasts an August 2003 graduation. Pursuing a career in automobile racing, he has already completed a two-year automotive body repair course. He is a Kevin Harvick fan and aspires to work with a Winston Cup team in the future.
    Cody Brown, Dandridge, Tenn.: Following high school graduation, Brown began taking classes at the NTI in September and expects to complete his course work by October 2003. He has always enjoyed working on cars and hopes to land with a racing team.
    Arnold Lettsome Jr., Lithonia, Ga.: A Service Advisor and Technician for more than one year at Stone Mountain Toyota, Lettsome is currently working at Napa Auto Care Center in Mooresville, Ga., and began taking classes at the NTI in mid-October. He is planning to graduate in November 2003 with long-term goals to work for a car dealership and eventually open his own automotive shop. Lettsome credits his uncle, an automotive technician, for helping to fuel his passion for this field.
    Hai Link "Mike" Ngo, Clover, S.C.: Following his attendance at Central Piedmont Community College where he studied automotive body and refinish, Ngo enrolled at the NTI this summer. He expects to graduate in September 2003 and then attend the Volkswagen Graduate program, where he hopes to earn a position at a Volkswagen dealership in California.
    UPS has been the official express delivery company of NASCAR since 2000 and completes its second year as primary sponsor of the #88 UPS Ford Taurus driven by Dale Jarrett for Robert Yates Racing. Building on the sport's growing popularity and fan loyalty, UPS has been recognized for a strong marketing platform that links its services to the speed, precision and reliability of NASCAR racing. UPS continues to build new business opportunities directly within the racing community, related automotive and supplier industries and with new revenues through licensed product merchandising. Visit www.racing.ups.com for more information about UPS Racing, the #88 team's performance and feature stories.