Dodge to Sponsor NASCAR Weekly Racing Series

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (November 13, 2001) - Dodge today announced that it has reached an agreement with the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) to become the presenting sponsor of NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series, beginning immediately and continuing through a multi-year agreement.

The announcement comes near the end of Dodge's first season back in NASCAR Winston Cup racing in 16 years, and a year in which the brand captured its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturers Championship.

"Anyway you look at it, this is an ideal addition to our racing activities," said Jim Julow, Vice President, Dodge Global Brand Center. "On one hand, the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series provides Dodge Dealer partners with additional race sponsorship, hospitality and promotional opportunities for their customers and employees. And on the other, as a full-fledged member of the NASCAR family of official sponsors, it opens the door to even more ways to leverage our return to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and work with other NASCAR sponsors."

The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge is America's premier weekly stock car racing series, encompassing 10 geographic regions and nearly 90 of the finest short-track racing facilities across America.

"The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series is an integral part of NASCAR," said NASCAR President Mike Helton. "The series provides an excellent starting point for NASCAR's future stars, as well as a home for thousands of competitors. The reach of the series is nationwide and offers Dodge, as a presenting sponsor, many tremendous marketing opportunities."

Many competitors in NASCAR's three national series - Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Trucks - began their careers in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, including each of those series champions in 2000. Dodge drivers Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, Casey Atwood, Stacy Compton, Buckshot Jones, Scott Riggs and Ted Musgrave are also NASCAR Weekly Racing Series graduates.

NASCAR Weekly Racing Series events are held on both dirt and asphalt tracks across the country. Weekly short-track racers compete for regional and national recognition, as well as more than $1.7 million in posted awards; the highest posted awards for any short-track racing series. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series competition index system rewards excellence in competition at each racer's home track, while comparing their performance against drivers competing throughout their region and, ultimately, throughout the United States.

"The visibility that Dodge and its 3,000 dealers nationwide bring to the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series will help showcase this series' great racing action," said Chris Boals, director of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge. "Dodge has always been known for its commitment to sportsman racers. We're confident the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge will serve as an excellent complement to the brand's NASCAR Winston Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series participation."

"We have an outstanding group of facilities hosting the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2001," added Boals. "Dodge will be able to reach thousands of short-track racing competitors and fans in several new areas of the country with the exciting competition that identifies the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series."

NASCAR Weekly Racing Series tracks begin accumulating NASCAR Weekly Racing Series track points for a new season beginning any time after January 1st. Track point leaders in each of the 10 regions are evaluated on their performance establishing the top 50 drivers in each region, forming the Competition Performance Index (CPI). The first CPI is released in mid-May. >From there, an 18-week season follows, with the 2001 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series CPI ending on September 16. Following the September 16th date, NASCAR Weekly Racing Series short tracks are still able to accumulate track points to determine their own track champions.

The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge began its current format in 1982 when the first NWRS national champion was crowned. Prior to 1982, state champions were crowned in the series. In 1982, 30 tracks participated in the series with Tom Hearst of Muscatine, Iowa, winning the first national championship; 19 drivers have been crowned national champion, with the champions representing each region of the country and both dirt and asphalt tracks. The 2002 season will be the 20th anniversary of the NWRS in its current format.

Earlier this year, NASCAR announced that six new facilities joined the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series for the 2001 season, including: Birmingham (Ala.) International Raceway, Lorain County Speedway in Amherst, Ohio, Nebraska Raceway Park in Greenwood, Neb., O'Reilly Auto Parts Motor Speedway at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan., Thunder Valley Speedway in Glenmore, La., and Wenatchee (Wash.) Valley's Super Oval.

The regional alignment for the 2001 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series:

Atlantic Seaboard Region

Florence Motor Speedway, Langley Speedway, Myrtle Beach Speedway, Old Dominion Speedway, Orange County Speedway, South Boston Speedway, South Hampton Motor Speedway, Southern National Speedway, Southside Speedway

Blue Ridge Region

Ace Speedway, Atomic Motor Speedway, Bowman Gray Stadium, Caraway Speedway, Concord Motorsport Park, Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Galaxy Kingsport Speedway, Lanier National Speedway, New River Valley Speedway

Great West Region

Colorado National Speedway, Evergreen Speedway, Magic Valley Speedway, Portland Speedway, Rocky Mountain Raceway, South Sound Speedway, Tri-City Raceway, Wenatchee Valley Super Oval*, Yakima Speedway

Heartland Region

Birmingham Speedway*, Columbus Motor Speedway, I-70 Speedway, Kalamazoo Speedway, Kil-Kare Speedway, Lakeside Speedway, Lebanon I-44 Speedway, Louisville Speedway, Nashville Speedway

Mid-America Region

Capital Speedway, Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway, Elko Speedway, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Peoria Speedway, Raceway Park, Rockford Speedway - 2nd night Rockford Speedway, Tri-City Speedway

Midwest Region

Adams County Speedway, Crawford County Speedway, Farley Speedway, Madison Speedway, Nebraska Raceway Park*, O'Reilly Auto Parts Motor Speedway*, Jefferson Speedway, Viking Speedway, West Liberty Raceway

New England Region

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Claremont Speedway, Grandview Speedway, Lee USA Speedway, Seekonk Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, Star Speedway, Thompson Speedway, Waterford Speedbowl

Northeast Region

Big Diamond Raceway, Chemung Speedway, Holland International Speedway, Jennerstown Speedway, Lorain County Speedway*, Monadnock Speedway, Motordrome Speedway, Riverhead Raceway, Spencer Speedway

Pacific Coast Region

Altamont Raceway Park, Cajon Speedway, Irwindale Speedway, Madera Speedway, Mesa Marin Raceway, North Star Speedway, Orange Show Speedway, Stockton 99 Speedway, Watsonville Speedway

Sunbelt Region

Jax Raceways, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oglethorpe Speedway Park, San Antonio Speedway, Sandia Motorsports Park, Summerville Speedway, Thunder Raceway, Thunder Valley Speedway*, Tucson Raceway Park *Indicates first year track