NASCAR and Nextel Unveil the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy Expertly Crafted Trophy by Tiffany & Co.
DAYTONA, Fla. & RESTON, Va.--Sept. 16, 2004--NASCAR and Nextel Communications Inc. today unveiled the highly anticipated NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy, a 27-pound trophy crafted in sterling silver, by world-renowned jeweler and silversmith Tiffany & Co. The first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy will be awarded to the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series(TM) champion at the sport's annual awards ceremony on December 3 at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York City."The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy is a true work of art," said Tim Donahue, Nextel's president and chief executive officer. "This trophy stands for excellence, a passion for winning, superior teamwork, and the determination to get things done. This extraordinary design reflects that. These values are as important to Nextel as they are to a championship race team, and we are proud to honor their achievement."
"We are extremely proud of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy," said Brian France, chairman and chief executive officer of NASCAR. "The trophy represents the extraordinary accomplishment of winning at NASCAR's highest level. It is certainly coveted by our drivers, and we hope it will be seen as one of the world's great sports trophies."
The trophy, which is up for grabs among the 10 drivers competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, will be put on display at each of the final 10 races of the 2004 season.
Bruce Newman, an accomplished businessman, financial manager and design director, designed the new trophy. In conjunction with NASCAR, Newman began designing the trophy in 2003.
Featuring flowing checkered flags, rendered entirely in sterling silver, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy will sit on top of a perpetual base listing the names of every NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion since 1948.
Using age-old techniques - spinning, etching, silversmithing and polishing - Tiffany's master artisans spent nearly four months crafting the Nextel Cup Trophy at the company's silver shop in Parsippany, N.J. The checkered pattern alone required approximately 80 hours of etching.
"This magnificent trophy is crafted in the great tradition of Tiffany & Co. as a world-renowned silversmith," said Scott Shibley, Tiffany & Co. vice president of business sales. "In focusing on the highly visible checkered flags that are waved at the finish of a race, the trophy captures the intensity and drive to win that defines both spectator and participant in this increasingly popular sport."
In addition to the NEXTEL Cup Trophy, Tiffany & Co. crafts the National Football League's Vince Lombardi Super Bowl Trophy, the National Basketball Association's Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, the World Series Trophy for Major League Baseball, and the U.S. Open Tennis Championship Trophies.
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy Fast Facts
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Height: 24 inches
Weight: 27 pounds
Materials: Sterling silver and wood (base)
Created by: Tiffany & Co.
Designed by: Bruce Newman
Production time: Four months
The Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Drivers
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1. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, 5050
points
2. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, 5045
points
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt
Inc., 5040 points
4. Tony Stewart, No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet, Joe Gibbs Racing, 5035
points
5. Matt Kenseth, No. 17 DeWalt Ford, Roush Racing, 5030 points
6. Elliott Sadler, No. 38 M&M's/Pedigree Ford, Robert Yates Racing,
5025 points
7. Kurt Busch, No. 97 Sharpie/Irwin Ford, Roush Racing, 5020 points
8. Mark Martin, No. 6 Viagra Ford, Roush Racing, 5015 points
9. Jeremy Mayfield, No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, Evernham
Motorsports, 5010 points
10. Ryan Newman, No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge, Penske Racing South, 5005
points
ABOUT NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (http://www.nascar.com) is the sanctioning body for one of America's premier sports. NASCAR's three major national series are the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. These events are now broadcast in more than 150 countries. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in Charlotte, Concord, N.C., Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Toronto, NASCAR sanctions 1,800 races at 120 tracks in 38 states.
ABOUT NEXTEL
Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500(R) companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 296 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 253 million people live or work.
ABOUT TIFFANY & CO.
Tiffany & Co. operates jewelry and specialty retail stores and manufactures products through its subsidiary corporations. Its principal subsidiary is Tiffany and Company ("Tiffany"). Founded in 1837, Tiffany now operates more than 140 TIFFANY & CO. retail stores and boutiques in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations. The Company's Specialty Retail operations include consolidated results from retail ventures operated by subsidiaries other than Tiffany under separate trademarks or trade names. Worldwide sales were $2.0 billion in 2003.
ABOUT BRUCE NEWMAN
Bruce Newman, designer of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Trophy, is Managing Partner of Addison Feen Investors, LLC, an investment and advisory firm that helps brand-centered companies reach higher levels of performance. He was formerly President of The Franklin Mint, one of the largest direct-to-consumer marketing companies, where he led a diverse group of creative and artistic professionals and drove innovations in content development, customer relations and operations.
Newman earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master's of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a Fellow of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in technology. He is a Director of the Science Center of University City, a privately-held developer of entrepreneurial communities.