Office Depot, NASCAR and Carl Edwards Team Up to Put Spotlight on Small Business Owners; Lucky Small Business Wins Rights to Promote Company on No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion Driven by Edwards, NASCAR's Newest Superstar

DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--Feb. 13, 2006--Looking for a unique way to promote your business? Office Depot, the Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR, is offering small business owners a rare opportunity to capitalize on both the huge popularity of driver Carl Edwards and the incredible marketing power of NASCAR.

Beginning today, Office Depot customers have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be named the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" courtesy of Office Depot. One lucky small business will win the rights to have its company name and logo emblazoned on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion driven by NASCAR superstar Carl Edwards for the final 25 races of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season.

During the Memorial Day weekend race in Charlotte, NC, on Sunday, May 28, 2006, the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" winner's company logo will make its debut on the TV Panel of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion. The winning company logo will remain on Edwards' car for the final 25 races of the season, located on the "B-Post," between the front and rear windows on the car. (Positioning is governed by NASCAR rules.) Additionally, the winning company will have the unique right to promote its business by using the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" logo for business cards, letterhead and other materials for a full year.

Office Depot is also adding a new element to this year's prize package by offering the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" use of the Office Depot show car for an event, a benefit that is sure to generate attention for the winning business in its market.

"With small businesses being such an important part of the NASCAR fan base, this program is a perfect way to reach out to our customers and present them with a real opportunity to harness the incredible marketing power of NASCAR," said Tony Ueber, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Office Depot. "Typically, companies pay millions of dollars for the rights to be on a winning race car. We've made it as simple as entering the Office Depot sweepstakes."

In addition to seeing its logo on the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion, the winning business will receive an Office Depot Small Business Makeover valued at $10,000, and a VIP Race Experience at the Charlotte, NC, Memorial Day weekend race.

Enter To Win

From February 12 through April 9, employees or owners of small businesses with fewer than 99 employees can enter for a chance to win the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" Sweepstakes online at www.officedepotracing.com or at any of Office Depot's more than 1,000 retail store locations. Last year nearly 100,000 small businesses signed up for a chance to be the first-ever "Official Small Business of NASCAR." Fort Bend Lock & Key of Houston, Texas won this honor in 2005.

The Office Depot sweepstakes will be supported through Office Depot's integrated marketing campaign, including radio and television advertising, in-store signage, national circulars, email, and online at www.officedepotracing.com.

For official rules visit www.officedepotracing.com or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Official Small Business of NASCAR(R) Sweepstakes by Office Depot(R), P.O. Box 324, Lombard, IL 60148-0324. Winners must be approved by Office Depot and NASCAR in accordance with the sweepstakes rules.

About Office Depot

With annual sales of over $14 billion, Office Depot provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company. Incorporated in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, Office Depot conducts business in 23 countries and employs 47,000 people worldwide. The Company operates under the Office Depot(R), Viking Office Products(R), Viking Direct(R), Guilbert(R), and Tech Depot(R) brand names.

Office Depot is a leader in every distribution channel - from retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. With over $3.1 billion in online sales, the Company is the world's number three Internet retailer. As of September 24, 2005, Office Depot has 1,009 retail stores in North America. Internationally, the Company conducts wholly-owned operations in 14 countries, and operates retail stores under joint venture and license arrangements in another seven countries.

The company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

About Roush Racing

Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia Mich., based Roush Industries that operates ten motor sports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards; three in the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Edwards, and two in the Craftsman Truck Series with drivers Ricky Craven and Todd Kluever.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has a broad reach with 1,800 racing events in 36 states at more than 110 tracks. Among major professional sports, NASCAR ranks number one in corporate involvement and per-event attendance, and number two in television viewership. The sanctioning body for stock car racing is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in New York City (Corporate Marketing), Los Angeles (Broadcasting Media and Entertainment), Charlotte, N.C. (Licensing and Aftermarket), Concord, N.C. (Research and Development Center). Mexico City and Toronto.