Burton to Introduce License Plate Initiative for State of South Carolina

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (November 22, 2000)-Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton, along with representatives from Roush Racing, will travel to Columbia, S.C., Tuesday, November 28, to participate in a press conference with South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges. Gov. Hodges and Burton will officially introduce a bill to be passed by legislation regarding NASCAR-licensed vanity license plates for the state of South Carolina.

Burton sparked the effort and coordinated a meeting with Gov. Hodges about one year ago to involve South Carolina in the promotion after seeing the response the NASCAR vanity plates generated in New York.

Other race teams, including Roush Racing, that have since joined on the involvement include Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Penske Racing and Robert Yates Racing, so license plates will be offered to reflect NASCAR's top drivers such as Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt.

The press conference will be held on the steps of the State Capitol Building (Main Street) and will begin at 11 a.m. Gov. Hodges will formally introduce and endorse the bill, which will be voted on in January when the legislative session begins. The bill must reach approval initially from the committee, then by approvals from the House of Representatives, the Senate and finally Gov. Hodges will grant final approval if the bill makes it to that point.

"I'm very happy with the support we've received from Governor Hodges and will continue to be optimistic that legislation will pass the bill in January," Burton said. "This initiative is something fully endorsed by the governor, and it's a perfect fit for all parties involved. A substantial portion of the proceeds from the license plates will be donated to the Children's Emergency Shelter Foundation, so we're hoping the state of South Carolina will embrace this."

A portion of the proceeds from the vanity license plates will be donated to the Children's Emergency Shelter Foundation, a non-profit foundation created for the purpose of raising and collecting funds to benefit children's emergency shelters in South Carolina. The shelters consist as a front-line defense for abused children in South Carolina and provide clothing, food, medical care and other needs for abused children. There are currently 19 locations throughout South Carolina, which extend from the coast to the upstate. Burton's wife, Kim, sits on the Board of Trustees for the Foundation and has also played an integral role in the process.

"This is something that would have a tremendous effect on the Foundation and would have an impact on every member of the hospital," Kim Burton said. "It's rewarding to see how this has all come into fruition."

If the bill is passed by legislation, license plates will be available for purchase at the South Caroline Department of Motor Vehicles for approximately $60 as opposed to the basic license plate which costs approximately $35. The cost is comparable to other vanity license plates currently available, including university plates, which cost $75. Jeff Burton along with Gov. Hodges will be available for one-on-one interviews following the press conference.

Roush Racing is the largest motorsports team in the world with nine teams in NASCAR's three major series: Mark Martin, Jeff Burton (based in Mooresville, N.C.), Kevin Lepage, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth (Concord, N.C.) in the Winston Cup Series; Martin and Burton in the Busch Series; and Greg Biffle and Busch (Livonia, Mich.) in the Craftsman Truck Series.