Bass Pro Shops, MBNA Sign Multi-Year Deal to Sponsor Fall Race at Atlanta Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C.--Aug. 28, 2003--Speedway Motorsports, Inc. officials recently announced that Bass Pro Shops and MBNA America will co-sponsor Atlanta Motor Speedway's fall NASCAR Winston Cup race for the next four years.

Bass Pro Shops leads the nation in outdoor retail sales while MBNA America is recognized as the world's largest independent credit card lender.

The race, which will be held this year on the Oct. 24-26 weekend, will be known as the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Bass Pro Shops and MBNA also sponsored the spring Winston Cup race this season, providing some of the most memorable moments of the racing season, including a unique largemouth bass winner's trophy.

"NASCAR racing excitement in Atlanta provides us a wonderful opportunity to co-promote with Bass Pro Shops, one of MBNA's outstanding retail-oriented customers," said Michael Rhodes, Executive Vice Chairman of MBNA.

MBNA America Bank, N.A., is the issuer of the official NASCAR credit card and is celebrating its 10th year of partnership with NASCAR. The two will team together to make the fastest weekend of racing in the country's fastest growing sport even more exciting. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Bass Pro Shops currently operates stores in 20 cities nationwide, including Atlanta.

"We are thrilled to partner with MBNA to be a multi-year sponsor of the Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway," said Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris. "There is a great enthusiasm for NASCAR and a deep appreciation for the sport of racing from our Bass Pro Shops associates and customers."

"The spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was a tremendous experience for all involved," said Ed Clark of Atlanta Motor Speedway. "We're eager to work with both great partners to create memorable experiences for the fans and competitors over the next four years."

Tickets for all three days of racing excitement during the Oct. 24-26 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway are on sale now. The weekend kicks off with Georgia-Pacific Qualifying Night on Friday, Oct. 24, as the fastest qualifying session in NASCAR goes under the lights. Adding to the evening's lineup will once again be the exciting Brawny 150 presented by Pork The Other White Meat, a 150-lap shootout with the Goody's Dash Series cars on the frontstretch quarter-mile track, Thunder Ring.

The action heats up on Saturday, Oct. 25, for the Aaron's 312 Busch Series race, showcasing the hottest up-and-coming drivers in the country. The weekend will culminate on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003, with the running of the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, one of the final events of the season, when every point will be at a premium.

Weekend ticket packages for the Bass Pro Shops MBNA weekend start at just $69, and single-day race tickets start at $30. For more information, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, or call Ticketmaster.

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiary, and manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars through its 600 Racing subsidiary. The Company also owns Performance Racing Network which broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to over 725 stations nationwide.