Furniture Row Racing Explodes Into CUP in 2006 With Drivers Kenny Wallace and Jerry Robertson

DENVER, Feb. 8, 2006 -- 2006 is gearing up to be an exciting and challenging year for the Furniture Row Racing program, one of the few sponsor owned NASCAR NEXTEL CUP teams. With the powerhouse driving team of Kenny Wallace and Jerry Robertson, the program is anxious to take on the CUP field.

Furniture Row Racing is scheduled to run 36 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP races. Kenny Wallace, a veteran CUP and Busch Series driver, and motorsport television personality, is committed to run the first 5 CUP races of the season for Furniture Row Racing.

Kenny Wallace states, "Furniture Row Racing has the resources, Joe Garone has the knowledge, and I'm very excited to help this new team get started."

Jerry Robertson's explains, "To race in CUP is my ultimate dream. We've got a year under our belts in the Busch Series, and the team is working very hard to get competitive for CUP. Everybody's really excited."

Owner Barney Visser says, "Our original 2005 NCS plans were based on Kenny's NBS sponsor commitment and scheduling. Our intention of running Kenny in 15 NCS races and the remainder with Jerry did not fully pan out, but it was a year of tremendous growth. Now, in 2006, Kenny has been approved to run as many races as possible, without interfering with his NBS commitment. This has put Jerry in a pinch hitter position for cup. We are actively pursuing any top NBS teams that may be interested in having Jerry drive for them, with Furniture Row Racing supplying race engines, sponsorship, and technology. This will keep Jerry behind the wheel in the NBS while Kenny is racing in his select cup races."

Crew Chief Joe Garone discusses future opportunities, "2006 is another step in building a rock solid foundation to support Furniture Row's up and coming NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Team. You can't underestimate the level of competition in the cup series! It's the number one form of motor sports in the USA and requires all aspects of auto racing to be in concert with one another, to not only qualify, but to be competitive. I think the experience Kenny brings is very valuable in helping with the ramp up process of the team, as well as being a mentor to Jerry. We want to give Kenny every chance possible to be in position to win races, and Jerry the opportunity to learn the series and be a competitive force. I look forward to working with both drivers and watching Jerry come into his full potential."

The Furniture Row Racing program is well aware of the challenges ahead. However, the program, which surprised many last season with its competitive presence, is working diligently to compete at the highest level in the sport. A partnering agreement to enhance testing and training procedures is currently in the works.

Based in Denver, Colorado Furniture Row Racing is the NEXTEL Series newest team, formed and sponsored by Furniture Row(R) Companies.

Furniture Row(R) Companies is one of the largest family-owned specialty home furnishings and bedding retailers. The company is comprised of five specialty store brands including: Sofa Mart, Oak Express, Bedroom Expressions, Denver Mattress Company, and Furniture Row Outlets. Furniture Row operates more than 270 stores, in 30 states nationwide.

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