Dodge, Evernham and NHL Meet at Center Ice

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NHL® All-Star Game gets a NASCAR® Salute

Pro hockey scores a power play aboard the No. 19 Dodge

PHOENIX (Jan. 8, 2004) - Dodge, Evernham Motorsports the National Hockey League and Action Performance Companies Inc. today announced details surrounding a pre-season special featuring NASCAR® Nextel Cup driver Jeremy Mayfield and the No. 19 Dodge Dealers-UAW Intrepid race car.

Mayfield will drive a commemorative edition of his No. 19 Dodge Dealers-UAW Dodge adorned with the official logo of the 2004 NHL® All-Star Game during the Budweiser Shootout race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 7, 2004. The car was created to spotlight the 2004 NHL All-Star Weekend, taking place in St. Paul, Minn. at the Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 2-8, 2004.

"I admire the work and dedication that NHL hockey players put into their sport," Mayfield said. "Most of the players were on ice skates as soon as they learned to walk. Drivers share that mentality. We live to be behind the wheel, where all the action is, and most of us have been working at it since we were kids, too. Dodge has a great relationship with the NHL, so I am happy to share that with race fans. The NHL All-Star Game is a showcase of the best players in the league. They deserve recognition in the Budweiser Shootout, a race where NASCAR®'s best are competing."

The union between the stock car racing star and the NHL was, in part, inspired by Dodge's longtime commitment to hockey. Dodge, a corporate partner of the NHL since 1995, provides the official vehicles of the NHL and NHLPA, while Evernham Motorsports is the lead Dodge garage in NASCAR® racing. Mayfield has been part of the Evernham team, driving the No. 19 Dodge Dealers-UAW Dodge since 2002.

"Dodge actively promotes its cars and trucks through national sponsorships in three sporting venues - motorsports, the National Hockey League and the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association," said Bo Puffer, senior manager, Dodge Motorsports. "The NHL paint scheme on Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge provides us with a tremendous opportunity to activate two of our three primary sponsorships simultaneously. It's really a great way to reach out to such an important group of people who buy Dodge cars and trucks - racing enthusiasts and hockey fans, who are extremely passionate about their sports."

Andrew Judelson, the NHL's group vice president, corporate marketing, added: "The NHL, through its long-term partnership with Dodge, has the opportunity to expose the sport of hockey and the NHL brand to a non-traditional audience in a unique and creative way."

Die-cast sales for the No. 19 Dodge Dealers-UAW/NHL All-Star Game race car will be handled in Action's typical settings, including its 18-member ARC distributor network and the RCCA collector club. To locate an ARC distributor, please call 1-800-411-8404. To join RCCA, call 1-800-952-0708 or visit www.goracing.com.

"I am an advocate for these types of cross-marketing programs, especially ones that can unite two completely different sports and their fans bases," said Fred Wagenhals, Action Performance's chairman, president and CEO. "The Budweiser Shootout race has grown in popularity nearly every year, making it an ideal event for an early season special with Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge and the NHL."

The 2004 Budweiser Shootout is the first, non-points race of the new NASCAR® Nextel Cup season. The 70-lap, exhibition race includes the previous season's pole sitters as well as past Budweiser Shootout champions.

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.

For more information contact:

Action Performance Companies Inc.
Steven Cole
Vice President of Advertising, Creative Marketing and Public Relations 
602-337-3800 ? e-mail: pr@action-performance.com

Evernham Motorsports
John King
704-975-3252 ? e-mail: jking@clearblue.biz

For images/photos contact:
Patrick Mason
(312) 464-1984 ext. 249
pmason@clearblue.biz

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