No Worries for Evernham Motorsports as Disney's 'The Lion King's' Simba, Timon and Pumbaa Join No. 9 and No. 19 Dodge Teams

JOLIET, Ill., July 11 -- Evernham Motorsports is set to roar into the Kansas Speedway when the NASCAR Winston Cup Series heads there for a weekend of racing October 3-5. The team announced today that the No. 9 and No. 19 Dodge Intrepids driven by Bill Elliott and Jeremy Mayfield during the Kansas race weekend will feature special paint schemes displaying characters from the Disney animated movie, "The Lion King."

"I think it's great anytime you can give the fans something exciting and different," said Ray Evernham, president and CEO, Evernham Motorsports. "This is a great partnership for our organization and everyone involved with Dodge. I know I loved watching 'The Lion King,' and I'm sure there are many race families out there who did, too. I'm sure both Dodge Intrepids will be popular, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear people saying, 'hakuna matata' all weekend."

Elliott's No. 9 Dodge Intrepid will feature the character of Simba as an adult. Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge Intrepid will feature Simba's life-long friends, Timon and Pumbaa. The cars are part of a special promotion between Dodge and Disney to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the "King of Minivans" -- the Dodge Caravan -- and the Oct. 7 DVD release of the highest-grossing animated film ever, "The Lion King." A $500 discount coupon on Caravan will be included in "The Lion King: Special Edition" DVD case and a consumer sweepstakes program will run this fall with the winner receiving a Dodge Caravan.

"Both Dodge and Disney are all about connecting with families," said Julie Roehm, Director, Dodge Communications. "We partnered in the past with Disney with the release of 'Monsters, Inc.,' and it was a tremendous success. Now it makes perfect sense to do so again. And 'The Lion King' paint schemes on the Evernham Motorsports Dodge Intrepids are an integral part of the promotion. When the cars hit the track in October, thousands of families in the grandstands and television audience will be cheering for Dodge and Disney."

Action Performance Companies is the exclusive supplier of replica die-cast collectibles related to the Evernham Motorsports "The Lion King: Special Edition" promotion. Sales of Lion King-themed Dodge Intrepid die-casts will be handled in Action's usual settings including its 18-member Action Racing Collectables distributor network (1-800-411-8404) and its exclusive collector's club, Racing Collectables Club of America (1-800-952-0708 or www.goracing.com ). Dodge/Lion King die-cast replicas will be available fall 2003.

About Evernham Motorsports

Evernham Motorsports is a professional race team fielding two cars, the No. 9 and the No. 19 Dodge Intrepids, in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Evernham Motorsports is committed to building championship race teams through dedication, teamwork and technology. For more information about Evernham Motorsports, log on to www.evernhammotorsports.com .

About Action Performance Companies:

Action Performance Companies Inc. is the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed motorsports merchandise. The Company's products include a broad range of motorsports-related die-cast replica collectibles, apparel, souvenirs and other sports-inspired memorabilia. Action Performance markets and distributes products through a variety of channels including the Action Racing Collectables network of wholesale distributors, the Racing Collectables Club of America, QVC, goracing.com , trackside at racing events, direct corporate promotions, mass retail and department stores, specialty dealers and select online retailers. For more information about Action Performance and its many subsidiaries, please visit the company's corporate Web site at www.action-performance.com .