Official NHRA Press Release: PENNZOIL, AUTOZONE TO SPONSOR NHRA NATIONAL EVENT AT MEMPHIS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GLENDORA, Calif. -- Pennzoil Products Company and AutoZone have reached a multi-year agreement with the National Hot Rod Association to sponsor the national event at Memphis International Motorsports Park near Memphis, Tenn., NHRA President Dallas Gardner announced.

The 1996 Pennzoil Nationals presented by AutoZone is scheduled for June 20-23. The race will be the ninth event of the 19-event NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series in 1996.

The race is entering its ninth year. It has been conducted at Memphis International Motorsports Park, located in the Memphis suburb of Millington, since its inception in 1988.

Tom Floyd, Pennzoil's senior vice president of marketing, said the agreement with AutoZone will enable both companies to reach a particular segment of the motor oil market.

"Our research has shown that many racing fans tend to be do-it-yourselfers who are customers of AutoZone as well as Pennzoil," Floyd said, "so this is a great opportunity for us to strengthen our relationship with this important group."

Floyd also said he expects to see an increase in sponsorships of this type in the future, "because manufacturer-retailer partnerships can be a very effective marketing tool."

Pennzoil Products Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Houston-based Pennzoil Company and is the manufacturer of Pennzoil{SYMBOL 226 \f "Symbol"} brand motor oil, the No. 1-selling motor oil in America for the last 10 years.

This title sponsorship of an NHRA national event is a natural extension of Pennzoil's longtime commitment to NHRA Winston Drag Racing. Pennzoil sponsors former NHRA Winston Top Fuel champion Eddie Hill, perennial Pro Stock contender Jerry Eckman, sportsman standout Mike Ferderer, and the husband-and-wife sportsman team of Bill and Terri Kent. Pennzoil also has been a major contingency sponsor of NHRA Winston Drag Racing for more than 15 years.

In addition, Pennzoil is deeply involved in many other forms of racing, including NASCAR, IndyCar and World of Outlaws.

AutoZone is the largest chain of do-it-yourself retail auto parts stores in the United States with more than 1,200 stores in 27 states. The Memphis-based company is also opening more stores per year than any other auto parts chain, with 250 new stores scheduled to open in fiscal 1996. AutoZone cosponsored the NHRA event at Memphis in 1989.

"AutoZone is quite pleased to be teaming up with Pennzoil for the local NHRA event," AutoZone spokesperson Laura Nevins said. "Many of our customers in the area are dedicated fans of the race, and as we begin promoting the event toward the end of May, we'll be able to provide them special discount offers unavailable anywhere else."

The NHRA national event at Memphis attracted a four-day crowd of 69,400 in 1995, an event record. Professional and sportsman drivers raced for a purse of $1,323,050.

Pro champions at the '95 event were Cory McClenathan in Top Fuel, Gary Clapshaw in Funny Car and Mark Pawuk in Pro Stock. The 1996 event will be televised by ESPN.

"We're elated that Pennzoil and AutoZone have become sponsors of the the national event at Memphis," Gardner said. "Pennzoil's decision to sponsor this event continues their long history of strong support of NHRA Winston Drag Racing, and we appreciate their belief and confidence in the sport. We're also grateful for the return of AutoZone to the NHRA family of sponsors, and we think they will reap many benefits from their involvement with this event in their back yard."