Busch Grand National Series

HRT and Ciclon Scratch Phoenix Event

Team, sponsor will focus efforts on the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Nov. 4, 2002) - The Hispanic Racing Team (HRT Motorsports) has decided not to enter this week’s Bashas’ 200 at Phoenix International Raceway with the No. 09 CICLON Energy Drink Chevrolet. Instead the team will turn its attention to Miami, where it will compete in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series season finale.

Roberto Guerrero was originally scheduled to make his stock car racing debut at Atlanta with the team, but qualifying was rained out, sending the part-time team home early. Now the team and sponsor have both agreed to focus efforts on Miami, where HRT made its own NASCAR debut in 1999, instead of making the long haul out to Phoenix.

“CICLON Energy Drink has not fully built its channel of distribution in Phoenix and in the West Coast,” said Mike Vazquez, co-owner of HRT. “So we decided to concentrate our efforts on Miami, a huge Hispanic market with a high concentration of NASCAR fans. We are disappointed because Phoenix is such a great track and area, and because Roberto has a great history there, winning a CART race there a few years back. But one thing we have learned in our four years in NASCAR is that we have to roll with the punches and play the cards that we are dealt…and that’s what we are doing.”