Hostess announces "Race Divas" promotion
DON SCHUMACHER RACING
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES
In case you had not received it, here is the release sent out last week by
Interstate Bakeries Corp. announcing its Hostess "Race Divas" promotion,
which includes Melanie Troxel, driver of the Skull Gear/Torco Race Fuels Top
Fuel Dragster for Don Schumacher Racing.
If you wish a copy of the photo of the three female racing drivers who are
part of this program, please let me know.
Judy Stropus
Don Schumacher Racing
jstropus@earthlink.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: Interstate Bakeries Corporation
Contact: Hannah Arnold or Casey DePalma - 212.575.4545
Linden Alschuler & Kaplan, Inc. Public Relations
INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORPORATION SIGNS SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH PROFESSIONAL
RACING'S LEADING [FEMALE] DRIVERS
DANICA PATRICK, LEILANI MÜNTER AND MELANIE TROXEL
TO BECOME HOSTESS® ³RACE DIVAS²
Three of professional racing¹s leading [female] drivers Danica Patrick
(IRL), Leilani Münter (NASCAR) and Melanie Troxel (NHRA) have signed on to
become Hostess® "Race Divas" under a new sponsorship agreement with the
brand famous for many of America's all-time favorite snack cakes.
The racing sponsorship program will involve Hostess® Twinkies®, Cup Cakes
and Donettes® and feature a range of promotional activities, including
special limited edition packaging and displays, which will debut next year,
with photos of the three drivers.
"Interest in women in professional racing continues to grow, with Danica,
Leilani and Melanie serving as excellent ambassadors for the sport," said
Kevin Kaul, Hostess marketing manager. "We are pleased to sponsor these
outstanding drivers as they pursue their dreams and inspire an even more
diverse fan base, and, at the same time, leverage the opportunity to connect
the iconic Hostess brand with the enthusiasm surrounding racing and women's
increasing prominence in the sport."
"Having grown up with Twinkies and Cup Cakes, I am thrilled to have Hostess
as a sponsor and to be part of the Hostess Race Divas program," said Ms.
Patrick. "It¹s an exciting opportunity to bring together America's favorite
brand of snack cakes with the country's favorite spectator sport."
As the 2005 IRL Indy Car Series Rookie of the Year, Danica Patrick has
emerged as an international superstar of racing, further increasing the
popularity of one of the hottest professional sports around. In addition to
her impressive 4th place finish at this year's Indianapolis 500, Danica had
5 other top ten race finishes in 2005 including a 6th place finish in the
Peak Antifreeze Indy 300. She also won the pole starting position at 3
races during the 2005 season, tying a record for most poles won in a single
season. Her impressive record also includes a 3rd place finish in the 2004
Toyota Atlantic Championship the highest finish by a female driver in
series history a 2nd place finish at the 2003 Formula Ford Festival in
England the highest finish ever by an American driver and a win at the
2002 Long Beach Grand Prix Pro/Celebrity event. She was born in Beloit,
Wisconsin.
Leilani Münter, who has signed to race for Konica Minolta in the NASCAR
Elite Division for the 2006 season, qualified 4th and finished 7th at the
Texas Motor Speedway in her first super late model race in 2004. She made
her debut in 2003 at the South Boston Speedway, where she placed 9th. In
addition to racing in the NASCAR Elite Division, she is a race instructor at
Fast Track High Performance Driving School and a special correspondent for
NASCAR.com. Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Leilani once worked as a photo
double for actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Melanie Troxel is a two-time NHRA [Alcohol Dragster event] champion and a
record holder in the Alcohol Dragster class, in which she placed 2nd for the
championship in 1999. Most recently, she was the [Top Fuel] runner-up
finisher in the 2005 NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. She also has earned
the distinction as the fastest [and quickest] female racer in NHRA history,
[establishing a 4.458-second elapsed time at 330. 31 MPH in Dallas this
year]. In 2000, Melanie received the NHRA Road to the Future Award and was
the Top Fuel runner-up at the NHRA O¹Reilly Fall Nationals in Dallas. Having
spent a lifetime around the race track, the Littleton, Colorado, native is
the daughter of the late veteran drag racer Mike Troxel.
The maker of Hostess® products, Interstate Bakeries Corporation, is one of
the nation¹s largest wholesale baker and distributor of fresh baked bread
and sweet goods under various brand names including Wonder®, Dolly Madison®,
Baker¹s Inn®, Home Pride®, Merita® and Drake¹s®. For more information visit
www.hostesscakes.com <http://www.hostesscakes.com/> .
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