MB2 Motorsports, CENTRIX Financial Announce Formation of NASCAR Nextel Cup Team With Boris Said As Driver
Agreement Also Includes Major Sponsorship for MB2/MBV Cars of Joe Nemechek and Scott Riggs
CONCORD, N.C. and DENVER, Nov. 16 -- MB2 Motorsports and CENTRIX Financial jointly announced today a multi-team sponsorship agreement and the formation of a NASCAR Nextel Cup team that will commence in 2005 with Boris Said as the driver.
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CENTRIX Financial, a Denver based financial management and services firm, is the Official Auto Finance Company of NASCAR. Founded in 1990 and purchased by current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert E. Sutton in 1998, the company specializes in providing unique products and strategies to the auto finance market.
The MB2, CENTRIX Financial multi-year agreement includes the following:
Creation of MB/Sutton Motorsports Team
* The new agreement calls for the creation of MB/Sutton Motorsports,
which will own the No. 36 CENTRIX Financial Chevrolet that Said will
drive in a minimum of ten races in 2005. The MB/Sutton Motorsports
entry with Said as the driver will kick off the 2005 campaign at the
season-opening Daytona 500 in February.
Four-Race Primary Sponsorship
* CENTRIX will have a total of four primary sponsorships of the MB2/MBV
cars-Joe Nemechek's No. 01 Chevrolet and Scott Riggs' No. 10
Chevrolet.
Major Associate Sponsor
* Additionally, CENTRIX will carry a major associate sponsorship package
with the No. 01 and No. 10 teams. The U.S. Army is the main sponsor
of the No. 01 car, and Valvoline is the main sponsor of the No. 10
car.
"I am thrilled to be expanding CENTRIX Financial's NASCAR program in 2005," said Sutton. "Nelson Bowers, Jay Frye and their team at MB2 have been outstanding partners this year, and our partnership in 2005 will be central to the success of our broader NASCAR program. While we are still finalizing the details of our program, I am confident that fans will like what they see from the MB/Sutton motorsports team.
"From a business perspective, the NASCAR partnership makes sense for CENTRIX because it allows us to tap into its loyal fan base and build unique business initiatives around NASCAR events in key markets around the country. The NASCAR program will be at the heart of our new direct-to-consumer auto finance offerings. This is significant because this marks the first time CENTRIX will bring its innovative auto finance program directly to consumers," continued Sutton.
Jay Frye, MB2's general manager who has spearheaded the company's growth since its inception with one-car in 1997, said, "This is an exciting development for MB2. Not only have we formed a unique partnership with an outstanding company in CENTRIX Financial, we also created a new team with a first-class partner in Bob Sutton. On top of that, we will continue to have Boris Said in our stable. His talents are diverse and his colorful personality continues to be a great addition to MB2 and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series."
"We're still discussing which races Boris will compete in next year," Frye continued. "But the speculation that two of Boris' races will be at the road courses in Sonoma (Calif.) and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) is absolutely correct."
For Said, the long wait of competing with more regularity on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit is now a reality. "This is the big time -- competing against the best drivers in the world," offered Said, whose first Cup race was at Watkins Glen in 1999. "The new deal for next year is a great opportunity for me, and as I have stated many times -- I love being on the edge and I welcome the challenge."
"Everything about this operation is top-shelf -- Bob Sutton and CENTRIX Financial, MB2 and the entire crew back at the shop who has always given me excellent racecars. Right now, I'm like a kid in a candy store," continued Said.
Said, a youthful 42 year-old from Carlsbad, Calif., carved his mark as one of the world's top road racers, including becoming the first American to win the German 4-hour GT Endurance this year. Though he is known as a hired-gun specialist for NASCAR's two road races each season, three out of his 12 career NASCAR Nextel Cup races have been on ovals with a fourth oval event scheduled for this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Some of Said's best performances in NASCAR Nextel Cup races include sixth-place finishes the past two years at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. He also captured the pole at the 2003 Sonoma race and finished 10th in this year's Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.
About CENTRIX Financial, LLC
CENTRIX Financial, founded in 1990, is a capital management and financial services firm that develops and manages products and investment strategies focused on the auto finance industry. With agreements with nearly 7,000 auto dealers and more than 200 financial institutions, CENTRIX has underwritten more than 125,000 loans totaling more than $2.0 billion since 1998. CENTRIX's current motorsports marketing programs include its position as the Official Auto Finance Company of NASCAR among others.
Contacts: David Ferroni MB2 Motorsports 763-593-1505 (office) 612-805-8718 (mobile) Margaret Fogarty, CENTRIX Financial (303) 391-3427 (office) (720) 935-1324 (mobile) mfogarty@centrixfinancial.comPhoto: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041103/LAW083LOGO
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