HDNet Presents Exclusive U.S. Telecast of 2005 Race of Champions -- Nations Cup, Live from Paris December 3

DALLAS--Nov. 2, 20051, 2005--

NASCAR's Jeff Gordon and Five-Time X-Games Champion Travis Pastrana Represent Team USA in International Competition against Top Drivers from Major World Racing Championships

HDNet will give U.S. racing fans an exclusive front-row seat December 3 as NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon and X-Games champ Travis Pastrana compete in the 2005 Race of Champions -- Nations Cup, live from the famous Stade de France in Paris. The entire event will be available for the second year in a row to U.S. television viewers in the highest quality 1080i high-definition television (HDTV), only on HDNet, Saturday, December 3 at 11:00 a.m. ET, followed by a prime-time encore presentation at 9:30 p.m. ET.

The 18th annual Race of Champions -- Nations Cup is an end-of-season international racing showdown featuring two exciting competitions. First, in the Race of Champions, 19 of the world's best drivers compete in a series of head-to-head heats in identical cars to determine the individual "Champion of Champions." Then, in the Nations Cup, the same drivers compete in national teams of two in a bid to determine "The World's Fastest Nation."

Team USA is sponsored by Centrix Financial, who has chosen four-time NASCAR champ Gordon and five-time X-Games Motocross champ Pastrana to compete against top drivers from all the major world class championships, including World Rally, Formula 1, Champ Car, IRL, Rally-Raid, DTM, Le Mans and GP2. Drivers for the other Nations Cup teams are Sebastien Loeb (two-time World Rally Champion) and Jean Alesi (DTM) for France; Colin McRae (WRC Champion) and David Coulthard (F1 Grand Prix winner) for Great Britain; Marcus Gronholm (two-time World Rally Champion) and Heikki Kovalainen (2004 Race of Champions winner) for Finland; Tom Kristensen (seven-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner) Mattias Ekstrom (2004 DTM Champion) for Scandinavia; Felipe Massa (Sauber Formula 1 star) and Nelson Piquet Jr. (GP2) for Brazil; and Christijan Albers (Dutch Formula 1 star) and Francois Duval (WRC ace from Belgium) for a first-time Benelux team. The final team is yet to be announced.

Joining those drivers in the individual Race of Champions competition are wild card participants Sebastien Bourdais (Champ Car World Series winner), Dan Wheldon (IRL champion and winner of the 2005 Indianapolis 500) and Stephane Peterhansel (Eight-time Dakar Rally winner).

"HDNet is proud to be the exclusive broadcast home of the Race of Champions -- Nations Cup once again," said Mark Cuban of HDNet. "This is the only event of its kind where top U.S. competitors represent their country against the best drivers from around the world. You won't want to miss the action!"

"We are very pleased that HDNet is returning to provide the exclusive telecast of the Race of Champions -- Nations Cup again this year," said Fredrik Johnsson, president of event organizers IMP. "This year's race features another star-studded line-up of drivers from all the top class disciplines, so it promises to be an exciting event for all racing fans."

About Race of Champions -- Nations Cup

Created by IMP (International Media Productions) President Fredrik Johnsson and the world's best female rally driver Michele Mouton in 1988, the Race of Champions -- Nations Cup remains the only event to allow drivers to race head-to-head heats in exactly the same cars and on a parallel-track. The premise is simple: using identical equipment and track, drivers can prove themselves based on their talent alone. Sixteen rally drivers and racing drivers will compete in a series of knockout heats in their own division to determine their class champion. Then, in a shootout to determine who is the master of motorsport, the winners from the two divisions, rally and racing, will go head-to-head in a super final. The winner is rewarded with the title as "The Champion of Champions."

About HDNet

Co-founded by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with exciting and topical news, sports, music and entertainment programming. The 24 hour all-high definition network features up to 20 hours of new original programming each week, all produced in the highest quality 1080i HDTV format -- more original high-definition programming than any other network.

HDNet news and entertainment programming includes original series "HDNet World Report," "Face 2 Face with Roy Firestone," "Debate," "HDNet Concert Series" and "True Music," as well acquired programs such as every episode of the acclaimed Warner Bros. series "Smallville." Live sports productions include, National Hockey League and Major League Soccer games and NASCAR Grand National Division auto racing.

HDNet Movies, the company's second network, is the exclusive home of day and date movie releases including "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room," and "The War Within." HDNet Movies also features a wide selection of major studio's theatrical releases -- all uncut, unedited and appearing in their original aspect ratio -- as well as features produced and finished in true 1080i high-definition.