Tide Racing Gives Kids the World
2 October 1999
Tide Racing Gives Kids the World
MARTINSVILLE, Va.--Oct. 1, 1999--its Debut in the NAPA Autocare 500
Start your engines! For the first time in the history of NASCAR racing, a stock car designed by a child will hit the track to support Give Kids the World (GKTW), a non-profit organization that provides Florida vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
The Tide No. 10 Ford Taurus, driven by Ricky Rudd, defending champion, and designed by 10-year-old Tiffany Rich, will run at the NAPA Autocare 500 on October 3rd(a). The program hopes to raise more than half a million dollars for the charity.
Rich, who has Cystic Fibrosis, created the winning design with the help of her friend Callie Pegadiotes, 12, during a contest while she was visiting the GKTW Village in Florida.
"We were thinking of Austin Powers when we designed the car. It is funky and hip. I can't wait to see the car in the race," said Tiffany. "It will be great to see our creation move at fast speeds. I bet it will be the prettiest car on the track!" added Callie.
Tide(R) Racing will donate $50 per lap for each of the 500 laps that driver Ricky Rudd completes. If Rudd captures the checkered flag at the NAPA Autocare 500 again this year, Tide will double the donation, for a grand total of $50,000. In addition, NASCAR fans have the opportunity to purchase a special limited edition Tide/GKTW 1:64-scale die-cast car for $5, donated by Action Performance Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq NM: ACTN) and Hasbro Inc. . All proceeds from the sale of the car will be donated to GKTW. The die-cast car, an exact replica of the one designed by Rich and Pegadiotes, makes for the perfect gift, and would compliment any car collection. Information on how to purchase the cars will be available beginning October 3rd on Tide's Internet site www.clothesline.com. -
"This is a dream come true for Tiffany, her family, and friends," said Pam Landwirth, president, Give Kids the World. "For every lap and every car sold, we come closer to making other children's dreams come true."
The Tide Racing Team has been on the Winston Cup Speedways and Raceways since 1987. Tide has been involved with Give Kids the World for the past eight years. Give Kids the World provides families with terminally ill children a unique retreat where they can enjoy a few precious days away from the daily routine of hospitals, doctor visits and medical treatments and visit Walt Disney World and other Central Florida attractions. They have provided vacations to more than 38,000 families from fifty states and forty-five countries.
Action Performance Companies, Inc. is the leader in the design, marketing, promotion and distribution of licensed motorsports merchandise. Its products include a broad range of motorsports-related die-cast car replica collectibles, apparel, souvenirs, and other memorabilia. The Company markets and distributes products through a variety of channels including the 167,000-member Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA), online through SpeedMall at goracing.com, trackside at racing events, mass retail department stores, and a worldwide network of wholesale distributors and specialty dealers.
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Tide is manufactured by Procter & Gamble, which markets more than 300 brands to nearly 5 billion customers in 140 countries.
(a) Photos of car available upon request.