Drivers Race for Chance to Animate Trophy Case

Friday’s Busch Winner To Earn “SpongeBob The Movie” Trophy

(Oct. 13, 2004) CONCORD, N.C. - The 43 drivers competing in Friday night’s Busch Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) will not only vie for a record purse of $1.1 million and the speedway’s race trophy, but the winner of the event will also take home a special SpongeBob SquarePants trophy that stands apart from most trophies in NASCAR.

Friday’s race is billed as “Lowe’s Presents The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300.” The movie, which opens in theaters on Nov. 19, is based on the popular animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants, which airs daily on Nickelodeon.

The movie chronicles the adventures of SpongeBob, the square yellow sea sponge, and his best starfish buddy, Patrick, as they search for King Neptune’s stolen crown.

In keeping with the theme of the movie, Lowe’s commissioned a Bruce Fox Designs trophy that features King Neptune’s crown perched atop a small life preserver, similar to the preserver featured in the movie’s logo.

“That will look cool in a trophy case,” said Kyle Busch, winner of the most recent Busch race at LMS in May. “This trophy will definitely stand out from the rest. I’ve seen a lot of neat awards for winning a race, but this is definitely one of a kind.”

Busch’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Nextel Cup driver Jimmie Johnson, is also scheduled to compete for King Neptune’s crown in Friday night’s event. Making his first Busch Series start since 2001, Johnson will drive a special No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet featuring an image of SpongeBob SquarePants on the hood, while the hood of Busch’s No. 5 Lowe’s Chevrolet features Patrick the starfish.

The Performance Racing Network (PRN) will also produce a special “Kids Only” radio broadcast in the Charlotte, N.C., area for the event. In what is believed to be the first live sports broadcast designed just for kids, Johnson’s 15 year-old brother, Jessie, and driver Mike Wallace’s 16 year-old daughter, Chrissy, will serve as reporters for the event, joining Fox Sports’ Mike Joy and PRN’s Stephanie Boyd Durner in the radio booth.

The Lowe's presents The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 kids' broadcast will begin at 7:45 p.m. EDT with live flag-to-flag coverage exclusively in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, N.C., and Charlotte, N.C., radio markets on HITZ 94.1 FM (WTHZ).

General Admission seating for the Lowe's presents The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 in the new, alcohol-free Charlotte Observer Family Grandstand is affordably priced at $25 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available through the Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office by calling1-800-455-FANS, or by logging on to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.