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CART: Licensed products announces agreement with women's sportwear manufacturer Enginewear

31 October 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

"Racy Clothing For Women" To Be Available at Races, Retail & Online

FONTANA, Calif.-- Women auto racing fans will have a wider variety of apparel to choose from while shopping from the merchandise trailers at CART FedEx Championship Series races, beginning during this week's Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota at California Speedway.

Enginewear(tm) Inc., Racy Clothing for Women, has been granted a license by CART Licensed Products, the licensing and merchandising arm of Championship Auto Racing Teams, to produce and distribute an official line of women's sportswear and apparel for the series.

Enginewear(tm) was established by Kristi Markel and Wendy Misner, two avid auto racing enthusiasts who got tired of searching endlessly for stylish sportswear at race events and decided to create a company that caters to the women's market. Enginewear(tm) features colorful and attractive t-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, hats and other items that are specifically designed for a woman's shape and style.

The announcement was made by Jonathan T. Frank, President of CART Licensed Products. "With CART's female fan base continuing to grow, and an increase in those fans' desire to wear merchandise promoting the CART FedEx Championship Series, licensing Enginewear(tm) was a perfect solution to fulfill the merchandise needs of our female audience," Frank said.

"CART and Enginewear(tm)'s visions are in alignment, in that we both seek to identify new products and services in the market while consistently delivering exceptional value to satisfy the needs of our customers and fans. We at Enginewear(tm) truly believe that this will be the key to our mutual success," said co-founder Markel.

The agreement enables Enginewear(tm) to manufacture and distribute clothing featuring the logos of CART, and its drivers and teams, in conjunction with the Enginewear(tm) mark. Initial product distribution will be through race track merchandise vendors and shops, as well as online, via the CART.com and Enginewear.com web sites.

Strategic marketing plans include sales through mass market outlets, at retail specialty and sporting goods stores, and through catalogues. Enginewear(tm) currently makes its catalogue available through a toll-free number. CART officials anticipate that sponsors, teams and tracks may have an opportunity to work with Enginewear(tm) to create a specific line of clothing for their needs.

"More than 40 percent of auto racing fans are women. The comment we've heard most often from women who have been disappointed by their previous selection is, 'It's about time!' " said Misner. "Teaming up with CART and CLP is a very exciting next step for us. The organization is very supportive of entering the women's market, and we are confident we can provide for them stylish, fun apparel that fills a gap in the marketplace. This is a significant advancement in Enginewear's goal to become a key player in the motorsports marketing industry."

The Enginewear(tm) product line includes a "baby doll" tee, Lycra* body suit, Lycra* tank tops, a fleece crop jacket, a crop sweatshirt, two low-profile hats, a contrast stitch short and top set, and a tote bag--all in the Enginewear(tm) red, black and white colors

Markel spent 11 years in the field of general aviation with a focus on business jet sales. A graduate of the University of Southern California with a bachelors in communication and a minor in business administration, she's been a race enthusiast since 1983. Misner graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and was a regional sales manager for companies including LA Gear and Sergio Valenti.

Enginewear(tm) apparel is available over the Internet and via direct mail catalogs. For more information, call 1-877-TO-RACE-4 or visit the website at www.enginewear.com.

Established in 1996 and headquartered in Atlanta, CART Licensed Products, Inc. is the official retail licensing and merchandising arm of Championship Auto Racing Teams. CART Licensed Products is the exclusive worldwide licensor of the CART and FedEx Championship Series brands. CART Licensed Products also grants non-exclusive retail licenses for the images of teams and drivers of the FedEx Championship Series including previous champions Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr. and Jimmy Vasser.

Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. owns, operates and markets the FedEx Championship Series, which is comprised of 20 races in five countries on four continents in 1999. Drivers such as Michael Andretti, Adrian Fernandez, Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta, Greg Moore, Al Unser, Jr., and Jimmy Vasser race 900-plus horsepower, open-wheel cars at speeds of more than 230 miles per hour on some circuits. CART also owns and operates its top two development series, the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship and the KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship.

-CART-

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