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This Year's New York International Auto Show Opens with a Race

9 March 1999

Two Men, Twenty Cars, 50 Yards... This Year's New York International Auto Show Opens with a Race Between Two of ESPN's World's Strongest Man Competitors

    NEW YORK, March 8 -- Searching the far corners of the earth
for an opening day event that's more powerful than anything the New York
International Automobile Show (NYIAS) has ever done before, Show management
has found the only two people capable of carrying the Auto Show in on their
backs -- literally.
    During this year's NYIAS opening day festivities, world renowned Strong
Men, Magnus Ver Magnusson (Four Time World's Strongest Man), and "Chief" Iron
Bear Collins (The World's Strongest Native American) will race down the
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center's inner roadway, each towing a line of seven
to ten automobiles, competing for the title of the New York Auto Show's
Strongest Man.  The race is set to begin on Saturday, April 3rd at 9:00 a.m.
    Magnus and Iron Bear are top competitors in ESPN's World's Strongest Man
contest, and are often featured carrying cars, lifting giant stones, and
polling tractor trailer trucks.  For the Auto Show's opening day, the two
giants will each strap into specially designed harnesses and launch
themselves against the weight of a line of new cars and trucks, measuring over
160 feet in length.  The two men will then race 50 yards, each hauling more
than 35,000 pounds of vehicle.
    Taking the excitement generated by opening day to an all time high, the
NYIAS Strongest Man event promises to be the most powerful opener in the
Show's 99-year history!  In addition to showcasing these two gentle giants who
are, in fact, the strongest men in the world, the event will also feature some
of the Show's most exciting new automobiles.
    The 1999 New York International Auto Show -- North America's last major
auto show of the century -- will be an impressive collection of cutting-edge
design and remarkable innovation.  Four floors of exhibitors are expected to
feature new automotive products, including more than 35 vehicle manufacturers.
Nearly 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display, filling more than 810,000
square feet of exhibit space.  In addition, the 1999 NYIAS expects a
record-breaking number of World, National, and Regional vehicle debuts.
    1999 NYIAS Media Days are March 30, 31, and April 1.  Dealer/Industry
Preview Day is April 2.
    The Show opens to the public on Saturday, April 3 and runs through Sunday,
April 11.