Jeff Gordon/DuPont Team Up With PEANUTS Gang to Honor Charles Schulz

21 July 2000

Jeff Gordon/DuPont Team Up With PEANUTS Gang to Honor Charles Schulz

    SONOMA, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--July 20, 2000---Jeff Gordon, DuPont and Hendrick Motorsports have teamed up with United Media and Action Performance Companies Inc. to honor one of America's most beloved cartoonists, Charles Schulz, and celebrate PEANUTS(TM) 50th Anniversary.
    The media caught its first glimpse of Gordon's PEANUTS-themed car Friday, June 23, 2000, at an unveiling event at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma. NASCAR and PEANUTS fans got their chance to see the brightly animated car at a pre-race unveiling held trackside on Sunday, June 25 at Sears Point Raceway.
    Gordon's DuPont/PEANUTS No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo appears to have just raced off the funny pages. With its brilliant blue body, Gordon's machine will carry three new copilots as the legendary Joe Cool, the fearless World War One Flying Ace and his faithful sidekick Woodstock will help to navigate the DuPont/PEANUTS Monte Carlo around the track.
    Gordon and his new teammates will join forces for one exclusive race. Fans can catch the DuPont/PEANUTS Monte Carlo at the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 5. Beginning with the car's on-track debut at Indianapolis, Action Performance Companies Inc. will offer fans a full line of collectible die-cast replicas, apparel items and related merchandise with the DuPont/PEANUTS theme.
    "I grew up reading PEANUTS comic strips and watching the cartoons," Gordon said. "I never would have dreamed that someday I would be able to race a car painted up with the PEANUTS gang. Of course, I could always relate to the Red Baron, and hope that we can take him to victory lane with us in Indy."
    "DuPont is a company that believes that excellence over time is the true measure of success," Harry Hall, West Region sales manager for DuPont Performance Coatings said. "That's why we're honored to join this recognition of Charles Schulz -- an American icon whose PEANUTS characters and special humor are truly timeless.
    "We also hope the Schulz family can experience what it's like to be on the winning team at the Brickyard 400 -- the way DuPont has been fortunate enough to do on two occasions."
    "We are thrilled that this exceptional team headed by Jeff Gordon is celebrating the work of Charles Schulz and the 50th anniversary of the Peanuts gang," said Joshua Kislevitz, senior vice president, licensing United Media. "The partnership offers a unique opportunity to reach fans of one of America's greatest sports, as well as create collectable merchandise. We will be rooting for Team Peanuts to co-pilot Jeff Gordon and the DuPont racing team to victory!"
    "Action is excited about this very special project with Jeff, DuPont, Hendrick Motorsports, the Schulz family and United Media on this very special project," said Fred Wagenhals, Action Performance chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We tried to capture the spirit of Charles Schulz' artwork with this paint scheme.
    "He was truly one of America's greatest cartoonists. Not only are we honoring Schulz' work, but we are celebrating 50 amazing years of PEANUTS."
    Action will design, market and distribute a variety of exclusive collectible die-cast replica cars, apparel items and other merchandise with the Snoopy/DuPont theme. These specially designed items will be available through Action's standard distribution channels, trackside and online through goracing.com. Related Hasbro Winner's Circle(R) products will be available through mass retail outlets.
    Action Performance Companies Inc. is the leader in the design, 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 wide variety of channels, including Racing Collectables Club of America (RCCA), online at goracing.com, trackside at racing events, mass retail department stores, and a worldwide network of wholesale distributors and specialty dealers.