Stewart, Truex Jr. Clinch WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards
Battle for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Lap Leader Honors Intensifies LAS VEGAS (Oct. 28, 2005) - With several races remaining in the 2005 season, drivers Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr. have clinched the WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Busch Series, respectively. Stewart claimed the 2005 WIX Filters Lap Leader title on the strength of 11 WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards, five wins and three pole positions in 32 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts. With four races remaining in the season, Stewart also leads the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup by 15 points over Jimmie Johnson. Truex Jr. - who earned the inaugural WIX Filters Lap Leader Award in 2004 en route to the Busch Series championship - secured the 2005 WIX Filters Lap Leader title with six races remaining in the season on the strength of 11 WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards, six wins and one pole and in 29 Busch Series starts. With three events remaining, Truex Jr. is locked in a four-way fight for his second series title, just 100 points ahead of second-place driver Clint Bowyer. Like Stewart and Truex Jr. in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series, respectively, winners of individual WIX Filters Lap Leader Awards are strong championship contenders in the Craftsman Truck Series, and the battle for overall WIX Filters Lap Leader honors is intense. With four events remaining, Mike Skinner - one of 16 drivers in the hunt for the Craftsman Truck Series championship - leads Todd Bodine, Dennis Setzer, David Reutimann and six other drivers still in contention for WIX Filters Lap Leader honors with five Lap Leader Awards, two wins and five poles in 21 starts. Thousands of race fans also have had a chance to earn valuable prizes in the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award Contest. Fans who visit www.wixlapleader.com each week to predict which drivers in NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series will lead the most laps in each race could be eligible to win a weekly WIX Filters Racing prize pack, as well as an all-expense-paid racing extravaganza weekend at Las Vegas Speedway for the 2006 NEXTEL Cup event. "With nearly 100 percent of NASCAR teams relying on WIX Filters, WIX is recognized throughout the racing community as an essential performance partner," said Bruce Johnston, brand manager, WIX Filters. "The WIX Filters Lap Leader Award Contest is a great opportunity to educate fans about the optimum performance provided by premium quality WIX Filters by allowing them to actively participate in our involvement in motorsports. "In 2005, more than 50 WIX customers and race fans, ranging from parts distributors to automotive service providers, have won prizes in the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award Contest." The WIX Filters Lap Leader Award is presented to the driver who leads the most laps during each race in NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck racing series. The award includes a cash prize presented to the winning driver during a ceremony before the next race and an end-of-year payout and trophy for the driver who earns the most WIX Filters Lap Leader awards over the course of the entire season. Cash awards for the end-of-year honor are: $75,000 for the NEXTEL Cup Series; $20,000 for the Busch Series; and, $10,000 for the Craftsman Truck Series. Since 1939, WIX Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment. WIX, a member of the Affinia family of brands, is the number one filter in NASCAR and an exclusive NASCAR Performance Product. Its NASCAR relationship also includes the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award, which recognizes the drivers leading the most laps in each race. WIX Filters' Internet address is www.wixfilters.com <http://www.wixfilters.com/> .