Continental Tire Bowl to Feature 'Toss for Millions' American Car Care Centers Joins Continental Tire to Host Halftime Contest

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 16 -- The 2004 Continental Tire Bowl will feature a new partnership between Continental Tire North America, Inc. (CTNA) and American Car Care Centers (ACCC), the largest network of independent tire and automotive service dealers in the U.S., culminating in a multi-million-dollar half-time promotion.

Televised nationally on ESPN2, the third annual Continental Tire Bowl will take place on Thursday, December 30, 2004, with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff. Played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., the Continental Tire Bowl pits a top team from the Atlantic Coast Conference against an elite Big East Conference team.

"We are excited to partner with American Car Care Centers and their dealers at this year's Continental Tire Bowl," said Andreas Gerstenberger, CTNA vice president. "Together, we will make this game a memorable one for our dealers, customers, and fans. For example, the three finalists from a football throwing contest will try to win millions of dollars by attempting to toss a football through a Continental tire during the halftime festivities."

"I think that this will be a great opportunity for both companies to build awareness and to strengthen the relationship," said Len Lewin, president and COO of ACCC. "It should also serve as a rallying point for our dealers and build excitement during a traditionally slow sales period. The Continental Tire Bowl has created a great deal of excitement on a regional basis during the past couple of years. The 'Toss for Millions' promotion will allow us to carry the excitement nationwide through our ACCC dealer network."

Leading up to the climactic game, American Car Care Center dealers will hold drawings to choose customers and dealers who will compete for the three finalist spots.

Over 1,100 ACCC retailers will support the "Toss for Millions" event. The drawing winners will show off their passing prowess at a contest during a street festival that's held on Wednesday, the day before the big game. The top three passers from the contest get to "Toss for Millions" during halftime at the Continental Tire Bowl.

Continental Tire North America, Inc. (http://www.continentaltire.com/), based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a group company of Germany-based Continental AG, a leading systems supplier to the automotive industry. With annual sales of over one billion dollars, Continental Tire North America, Inc. has about 7,000 employees and operates six plants in North America. CTNA is a major supplier to the original equipment and replacement tire markets, selling Continental, General, Euzkadi and private brands in North America.

ACCC is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Currently there are 19 member distributors and 1,104 locations nationwide.