Dillon to be Drenched in Colors at Darlington

GREENVILLE, SC - When you see the No. 21 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet this weekend at Darlington, you might have to take a closer look to see if it is the same car you remember. As part of an employee contest, the car's paint scheme will be transformed from its familiar red and white to a myriad of bright colors. The design, created by 10-year-old Asheville, NC-native Chevelle Griffin, will definitely catch the eye of many fans and bring added excitement to the BGN race.

"I'm really happy that my design was chosen," exclaimed Griffin after hearing that her colorful entry was selected. "I really didn't have any certain way to design it, I just thought of something and mailed it in. I can't wait to see what the car will look like in real life."

Chevelle, the daughter of Dean Griffin, a maintenance technician at the Rockwell Automation manufacturing facility in Asheville, was announced as the winner of the Rockwell Automation Paint Shop Contest on July 3rd. The promotion, held during the months of February and March, was geared toward the children and grandchildren of Rockwell Automation employees. Participants received an outline of the No. 21 Chevy, which they were allowed to decorate as they chose. The entries were collected in April and judged by members of the Rockwell Automation Racing staff.

"I think its great that we're getting the plants involved in the racing program," stated Dois Melton, manufacturing engineer at the Asheville plant. "This contest was a creative way to get our employees involved, and having someone at our plant win the contest is an added bonus. We pride ourselves on being the best and anytime we can add something to our list, we'll do our best to try. The Griffins are big race fans; I'm excited for them. They'll definitely have a good time this weekend."

Griffin, whose favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt, receives a trip for four to attend the DURA-LUBE 200 at Darlington Raceway this Saturday where she will watch her creation race around the track. She will also get a chance to meet driver Mike Dillon, have her picture taken with the car, and watch the race from the Rockwell Automation suite. This will be the second race Chevelle's attended, having previously visited Asheville Speedway one time with her family. Needless to say, she is very anxious to go.

"I've never been to a big race like this before, so it should be a lot of fun," added Griffin, who also enjoys playing softball and swimming. "Everyone in my family likes Dale, and we can't wait to see him and Mike. We've watched Mike all season; I hope he does good."

The contest was the largest motorsports promotion Rockwell Automation conducted during the 2000 season. It was used to get the word out to employees that its involvement in NASCAR was stepping up. The motorsports department received over 350 entries throughout the month of April and decided on Chevelle's because of its unique look and colorful design.

"We thought her car would show up great on the track; that's why we chose it," remarked Ryan Kurek, Motorsports Manager for Rockwell Automation. "There were a lot of great entries and we had a hard time deciding which one was the best. Chevelle's just had that certain look that we thought was unique and different.

"The reason we developed this contest in the first place was to create excitement for the employees and their families. We knew that if we didn't involve them in our sponsorship, it was an incomplete program. Employees, and especially their families, are what keep us racing every weekend, so we wanted to give them something back through racing. This is probably the most unique and rewarding way we could do that."

Dillon is hoping this new look might bring some luck to the No. 21 team as they head into Darlington, SC. He finished 13th in the spring race and is hoping to better that this weekend. He is currently 22nd in the Busch Series Driver Points Standings with one top-10 and 10 top-20 finishes this season.

"It's going to be fun racing that car this weekend," says Dillon. "The guys in the shop have been working hard to get it ready for racing. It's definitely going to be different from what people usually see, and I'm sure I'll get noticed as I make my way around the track. I'll do my best to get the car running up front and give Chevelle and her family something to cheer about."