goracing.com 500 Roars Into Bristol Motor Speedway
24 November 1999
goracing.com 500 Roars Into Bristol Motor Speedway
BRISTOL, Tenn.--Nov. 24, 1999--Becomes Title Sponsor of Historic Bristol Night Race
Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) and Action Performance Companies Inc. , Wednesday announced that goracing.com, motorsports' most comprehensive Web destination, will be the title sponsor for one of the most exciting and anticipated races in NASCAR's Winston Cup series schedule.
An exclusive five-year agreement grants goracing.com Inc., a subsidiary of Action Performance, title sponsorship rights to BMS's famous annual summertime night race. The inaugural goracing.com 500 will be held on Aug. 26, 2000.
"As we move into the 21st century, our partnership with goracing.com is ideal for helping us market the annual Bristol night race, and for making it more memorable and accessible to a broader audience through the Internet," said O. Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer, Speedway Motorsports Inc., owner of Bristol Motor Speedway.
Marketing efforts will include consumer sweepstakes, groundbreaking online coverage, special trackside events and an extensive array of exclusive goracing.com 500 and Bristol Motor Speedway collectibles, designed and created by Action Performance.
"The night race at Bristol is one of the most exciting events in all of motorsports, and goracing.com will use all of its marketing resources and technical expertise to maximize the race's exposure and entertainment value for fans worldwide," said Fred W. Wagenhals, goracing.com chairman and Action Performance chairman, president and CEO.
The 1999 season's Bristol night race became famous among NASCAR fans for its exciting and controversial finish. Dale Earnhardt staged a last lap pass of race leader Terry Labonte and clipped Labonte's rear bumper sending him spinning into the wall, as Earnhardt sped on to capture the checkered flag.
The goracing.com 500 will be especially exciting to those fans eager to see the two champions race again in the new millennium.
Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533-mile high-banked oval, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI). Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.
SMI owns and operates the following premiere facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte, Sears Point Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway. SMI also provides event food, beverage and souvenir merchandising services through its Finish Line Events subsidiary, and manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars through its 600 Racing subsidiary.
goracing.com Inc. is a leading online provider of worldwide motorsports-related news and information, a meeting place and community for motorsports fans, and an e-commerce marketplace for motorsports-related die-cast collectibles, apparel, and souvenirs.
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 online through SpeedMall at goracing.com, the 170,000-member Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA), trackside at racing events, mass retail department stores, and a worldwide network of wholesale distributors and specialty dealers.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. The company's actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Factors that might cause such a difference include, among others, competitive pressures, acceptance of the company's products and services in the marketplace, the company's ability to implement successfully its Internet strategy, the company's ability to integrate successfully acquired businesses, and other risks detailed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the company's Form 10-K/A dated Sept. 30, 1998.