Sherwin-Williams and Grand Prix of Cleveland to Offer Fans a Piece of History
For Immediate Release Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and Grand Prix of Cleveland to Offer Fans a Piece of History Auction of one-of-a-kind race helmets will benefit United Way of Greater Cleveland and Greater Cleveland Sports Commission CLEVELAND, September 1, 2006 - Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and the Grand Prix of Cleveland are giving fans a chance to own a one-of-a-kind piece of history from the 2006 Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by U.S. Bank. As part of the "Grand Prix of Cleveland Helmet Painting Contest," fourteen custom-painted racing helmets, autographed by top Champ Car drivers and racing legend Bobby Rahal, will be sold in separate auctions to raise money for the United Way of Greater Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. The helmets, individually designed and painted with Sherwin-Williams automotive paint by thirteen Cleveland-area automotive shops and artists, were on display at the Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes (SWAF) booth at the 2006 Grand Prix of Cleveland. Each helmet was autographed by the top three finishers at the 2006 Grand Prix of Cleveland - A.J. Allmendinger, Bruno Junqueira, and Oriol Servia, as well as racing legend Bobby Rahal, winner of the inaugural Grand Prix of Cleveland in 1982. "We are excited to present this unique auction to the fans in order to raise money for two great organizations," said Chuck Kosich, General Manager of the Grand Prix. "We celebrated the great history of the Grand Prix of Cleveland with our 25th anniversary festivities this year, and thanks to Sherwin-Williams and the participating artists, fans have the opportunity to own a piece of that history." The helmet designs are as unique as can be, with each participating automotive shop using Sherwin-Williams automotive paint to create their own masterpiece. The designs range from a patriotic themed helmet to a special commissioned 25th Anniversary- Cleveland Grand Prix helmet designed by SWAF and Mr. Nick Lundgreen, Lundgreen Motorsports, LLC out of Indianapolis, IN. "As the official automotive paint supplier to the Champ Car World Series, Sherwin-Williams takes great pride in the excellence of our products. These fourteen great artists have done a wonderful job using Sherwin-Williams paint to create unique works of art that any racing fan would be proud to own," said Tom Hablitzel, Vice President of Marketing, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp. "With our headquarters in Cleveland, and hundreds of employees who call this city home, Sherwin-Williams is proud to work with the Grand Prix to give back to our great community." The helmets will be sold to lucky race fans in separate auctions, beginning with a helmet designed by Planet Color on September 1 on eBay at www.ebay.com/unitedwaycleveland. Of the remaining helmets, ten more will be auctioned off on eBay, two will be auction items at United Way of Greater Cleveland events, and one will be auctioned at the Greater Cleveland Sports Award Banquet. A full list of the helmets and the auction schedule follows: 1. September 1, 2006 on eBay - painted by Planet Color 2. September 12, 2006 at United Way's Celebrity Golf Tournament - painted by JJ Chamura at Suburban Collision Centers 3. October 1, 2006 on eBay - painted by Mayfield Collision Center 4. November 1, 2006 on eBay - painted by MadLab Custom and Collision 5. November 2006 at the United Way Sports Auction on WTAM - painted by Paul Palmentera at Kamm's Corner Auto Body 6. December 1, 2006 on eBay - painted by Cleveland Auto Body 7. January 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Solon Auto Body 8. February 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Dunham Auto Body 9. March 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Highland Auto Body 10. April 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Ohio Technical College 11. May 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Tom Lusch at Kustom Color 12. June 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Jerame Cartee at Franklin Body Shop 13. July 1, 2007 on eBay - painted by Al Carrington at Suburban Collision Centers 14. At the Greater Cleveland Sports Award Banquet - 25th anniversary Grand Prix helmet United Way serves 400,000 residents annually in Cuyahoga County. It is the community's largest funder of health and human service programs and is committed to improving the quality of life for all Greater Clevelanders. The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is a non-profit economic development organization that strives to enhance the economy, image and quality of life in the Greater Cleveland community by attracting and creating significant sporting events and activities. For more information on the Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by U.S. Bank contact the event's downtown business office at (216) 619-RACE (7223) or visit www.grandprixofcleveland.com. ## Austin B. Crossley Director of Public Relations GRAND PRIX OF CLEVELAND Mobile: 713.598.7772 acrossley@grandprixofcleveland.com www.grandprixofcleveland.com