Berkley Joins SKI Motorsports as Major Associate Sponsor for 2006 NASCAR Season

Leading Fishing Tackle Brand Ready for Team's Darlington Opener

MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 9 -- The #30 Smith & Wesson/SKI Motorsports Chevrolet team, featuring veteran driver and 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Champion Mike Bliss, has landed Berkley(R) - one of the world's leading manufacturers of fishing tackle products and accessories - as a major associate sponsor for its 2006 NASCAR Busch Series season, which kicks off Friday (May 12) at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

For more than 65 years, Berkley has been a driving force of innovation within the fishing tackle industry and remains the world's number one fishing brand. The company's legendary lineup of innovative fishing products include Berkley Trilene(R), the world's most popular fishing line, the Berkley Lightning Rod(R), the nation's most popular graphite rod, Berkley FireLine(R) super line, Berkley PowerBait(R) and Gulp!(R) soft baits, Berkley Frenzy(R) fishing lures, and a number of other technologically advanced products proven to help anglers catch more fish.

"We are extremely proud to welcome Berkley, a legendary American company and highly successful brand in the global fishing industry, to our Smith & Wesson/SKI Motorsports Chevrolet effort for the 2006 season and beyond," said Chris Lencheski, President of SKI Motorsports and its parent SKI & Company agency. "Legendary American companies are most certainly the theme with the SKI Motorsports NASCAR program, as Smith & Wesson has been a leading provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport for more than 154 years. We're looking at two-and-a-quarter centuries of business excellence on our car, circling NASCAR racetracks at 180 mph. That's something special!"

"We're thrilled to join the SKI Motorsports and Mike Bliss team," said Andrew Marks, National Field Services Manager, Berkley. "This partnership is a natural fit for Berkley, as both organizations are deeply committed to innovation and performance. We look forward to sharing the excitement and passion of NASCAR with race fans across the country."

The #30 Smith & Wesson/SKI Motorsports Chevrolet embarks on its second NASCAR Busch Series season in 2006, running a limited schedule that begins with this weekend's Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington. Its remaining three events in 2006 will be July 29 at Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis, Sept. 2 at California Speedway, and Sept. 30 at Kansas Speedway.

Bliss, one of three NASCAR veterans to drive the Smith & Wesson Racing machine during its inaugural season with the SKI Motorsports team in 2005, was the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and had the #30 Chevrolet within a lap-and-a-half from a possible top-10 finish at Daytona last July. He shared time in the car with fellow veterans Ron Hornaday, Jr. and Scott Riggs in 2005. Hornaday capped the season with a top-12 qualifying run on the mile oval at Phoenix. Riggs scored a season-high finish of 21st at Las Vegas.

ABOUT SKI & COMPANY

SKI & Company is a full-service marketing communications services company with offices at 42 London Tower, London, UK; Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, NY; and 1850 Friedensville Rd., Bethlehem, PA.

ABOUT BERKLEY

Founded in Spirit Lake, Iowa, in 1937, Berkley has become the world's number one fishing brand. By combining science and technology with proven performance, Berkley continues to develop fishing tackle designed to help anglers of all levels catch more fish. Since its inception, Berkley has remained deeply committed to investing significant resources to research and development - a continuing strategy that has resulted in a legendary product lineup including Berkley Trilene(R), the Berkley Lightning Rod(R), Berkley PowerBait(R), Berkley Gulp!, Berkley FireLine(R), Berkley Vanish(R), Berkley Frenzy(R) and a host of other innovations designed to catch more fish. More information about Berkley can be found at http://www.berkley-fishing.com/.