AAA Offers Free Opportunity For Simulated NEXTEL Cup Racing This Weekend in Traverse City

DEARBORN, Mich., June 29 -- Anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to drive a racecar at speeds approaching 200 mph can have a free chance this Cherry Festival weekend in Traverse City when AAA Michigan will bring to town a full-scale replica of a car that is running this year in NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup Series.

AAA's Auto Club Group, which includes AAA Michigan, is sponsoring the #99 Car, a Ford Taurus driven by Carl Edwards, in the NEXTEL Cup Series.

The replica of the #99 Car that will be in Traverse City Friday through Monday is equipped with a simulator that enables the driver to experience what it would be like to race in a NASCAR event at the famous Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

On Friday, July 1, the simulator car will be parked at AAA Michigan's Traverse City branch, 940 U.S. 31 N. at Three Mile Road. The simulator will be operating from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is no charge to race. Interested people will sign up on a first-come, first-served basis, then race in pairs. Each racer will receive a certificate displaying his/her elapsed time, and the winning time from each pair will be recorded in a database. At the end of the NEXTEL racing season in November, the people in the eight states serviced by The Auto Club Group who have the 10 highest recorded scores will each receive a 1/24 scale model of the AAA Car #99 autographed by driver Carl Edwards.

Saturday through Monday, July 2-4, the simulator car will be at the National Cherry Festival, parked in the open space area. Racing will take place form noon to 5:30 p.m. Again, there will be no charge to race, and each participant will receive a certificate and have their time recorded in the database.

"Auto racing is America's fastest growing spectator sport, and AAA thinks many people would like to experience the virtual thrill of driving in a NEXTEL Cup race," said Scott Kitts, territory sales manager in AAA Michigan's Traverse City office. "We are pleased to be able to sponsor this event for people in the Traverse City area and visitors to the Cherry Festival.

"AAA's involvement in motorsports is a fitting extension of our association's role in promoting the enhancement of automotive safety," Kitts said. "Many of the safety features we take for granted on today's vehicles, such as rear-view mirrors and safety belts, were developed and tested in racecars."

Additional information is available from AAA's Traverse City office, 231-947-8045, or visit the Website, http://www.aaa.com/99 .