Best Western and Michael Waltrip Teaming Up for NASCAR Fans

PHOENIX, Feb. 4 -- Michael Waltrip, defending champion of The Daytona 500, will be racing for his third title in four years in NASCAR's premier event on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2004th.

He'll also be racing for NASCAR fans and Best Western customers across North America.

To celebrate its new partnership as The Official Hotel of NASCAR and its associate sponsorship with Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Inc., Best Western, the World's Largest Hotel Chain(R), will launch the "Win With Waltrip" bonus offer, which enables people to receive unlimited bonus points or miles toward their Gold Crown Club International (GCCI) account.

Any person who books and stays at a Best Western property from Feb. 4 through Feb. 29 will receive 250 bonus points or airline miles for every stay. This is on top of the base points or miles earned as a Gold Crown Club member. Members receive one base point for every dollar spent on their room rate or 250 base miles during a hotel stay. In addition, if Waltrip does capture The Daytona 500, those consumers will share in the victory by being awarded an additional bonus 500 points or miles. Advance promotion registration is required at www.bestwestern.com/racing .

Additional information for the "Win With Waltrip" bonus offer and on the GCCI program, which is recognized as one of the most progressive and highly ranked hotel rewards program in the industry, is available at www.bestwestern.com/racing .

"We're very excited about our relationship with NASCAR, Dale Earnhardt Inc., and of course Michael Waltrip," said Tom Higgins, Best Western president and CEO. "We feel this is a great way to get consumers involved in the excitement surrounding The Daytona 500 and the 2004 NASCAR season. We'll be rooting hard for Michael to wind up in Victory Lane."

Best Western International is the WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN(R) with more than 4,100 hotels in 83 countries and territories. Each independently owned and operated hotel in this member association displays its own unique charm while maintaining consistent global standards with BestRequests(R). For reservations or more information, call (800) WESTERN or visit bestwestern.com .

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has a broad reach with 1,800 racing events in 36 states at more than 110 tracks. Among major professional sports, NASCAR ranks number one in corporate involvement and per-event attendance, and number two in television viewership. The sanctioning body for stock car racing is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in New York City (Corporate Marketing), Los Angeles (Broadcasting Media and Entertainment), Charlotte, N.C. (Licensing and Aftermarket), and Concord, N.C. (Research and Development Center).