GNC Live Well to Sponsor Busch Series Event at Watkins Glen

GNC Live Well 200 is scheduled for July 8

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 26) - General Nutrition Centers (GNC Live Well) announced it has signed a contract to be the title sponsor of the NASCAR Busch Series event at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, N.Y.

The GNC Live Well 200 will be run on July 8 as part of the Festival of Speed and Sound weekend at the 2.45-mile road course in Upstate New York. The race will air live on Turner Network Television (TNT) and Motor Racing Network (MRN) affiliates at 1 p.m. EDT.

GNC Live Well, based in Pittsburgh, is the largest nationwide specialty retailer of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, sports nutrition and personal care products. Recently named the "Official Vitamin Store of NASCAR," GNC Live Well also sponsors the No. 36 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven in the Busch Series by Hank Parker Jr. and owned by Cicci-Welliver Racing.

"Our sponsorship of this event is a wonderful complement to our NASCAR marketing program," said Don Smith, executive vice president of sales and marketing for GNC Live Well. "The race at New York's 'Thunder Road' is always exciting and we're looking forward to being a part of the Busch Series' lone road-course event. This sponsorship is also an excellent way for GNC Live Well to further our association with NASCAR, America's largest spectator sport."

This marks GNC Live Well's third race sponsorship of the 2001 season. The company is also the title sponsor of the June 30 GNC Live Well 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and the July 1 GNC Live Well 250 Busch Series event at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis.

"We are delighted to welcome GNC Live Well to The Glen as the title sponsor of our NASCAR Busch Series event," said Bryan R. Sperber, Watkins Glen International president. "It is wonderful to have a quality company like GNC Live Well assist us in bringing this exciting event to race fans in the Northeast."

Tickets for the 2001 season at The Glen, including the Festival of Speed & Sound weekend July 6-8, are still available. For tickets, reserved camping, and additional information, please contact the Watkins Glen ticket office at 607-535-2481 or log on to the official Watkins Glen Web site at www.theglen.com.

General Nutrition Companies, Inc. (GNC), based in Pittsburgh, is the largest nationwide specialty retailer of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, sports nutrition as well as many personal care and related products. GNC operates more than 4,500 retail outlets throughout the United States and 26 foreign markets including Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. GNC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Numico, N.V., a worldwide market leader in specialized nutrition that includes infant and clinical nutrition and nutritional supplements. Headquartered in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, Royal Numico's operations include manufacturing facilities in more than 50 countries and research facilities in The Netherlands, Germany, the U.K. and Australia. In addition to GNC, Royal Numico's family of companies includes Rexall Sundown, Inc., a major supplier to the mass market based in Boca Raton, Fla., sports nutrition leaders Met-Rx and Worldwide Nutrition and the multi-level marketing operation of Enrich International.