Ryan Newman’s No. 12 Dodge to feature Kodak colors for three Nextel Cup events

Ryan Newman

ROCHESTER, N.Y. & MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Eastman Kodak Company will compete for the checkered flag in the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series as primary sponsor of the No. 12 Dodge Charger driven by Ryan Newman at three major races. Kodak will also sponsor Newman’s car in seven NASCAR Busch Series races next year, and will be an associate sponsor of Penske Racing’s IndyCar Series entries driven by two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and 2006 Indy 500 winner and three-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish, Jr.

“Our 2007 racing sponsorship program with Penske Racing will boost our brand visibility with three key segments of motorsports fans,” said Kodak’s Gregory T. Walker, director and vice president, Presence Marketing and Multicultural Marketing, Corporate Marketing Office. “Ryan’s a proven winner in NASCAR racing, and Helio and Sam are both Indy 500 champions with large, loyal followings. We’re proud to support their 2007 campaigns.”

Plans call for Newman’s Dodge Charger to wear red-and-yellow Kodak colors at Nextel Cup races in Talladega, Ala.; Fontana, Calif.; and Watkins Glen, N.Y., near Kodak’s headquarters in Rochester. At 33 other Cup events, Kodak will be an associate sponsor of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge. The seven Busch Series races where Newman will drive a Kodak EasyShare Gallery-sponsored car are Bristol, Tenn., Fort Worth, Tex., Darlington, S.C., Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Watkins Glen, Fontana, and Richmond, Va.

Kodak’s sponsorship on both of Penske’s entries competing in the 17-race 2007 IndyCar Series Championship will be its first in IndyCar racing. Newman, Castroneves, and Hornish also will take part in promotional appearances on behalf of Kodak. The agreements are in keeping with Kodak’s existing contract with Penske Racing. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Kodak in 2007,” said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Performance, Inc. “I am excited to see the familiar Kodak yellow and red on the track at Talladega in April as they return to Nextel Cup primary sponsorship. Adding Kodak to our list of marquee brands supporting our IndyCar program further demonstrates the success of our platform.”

Newman, who earned Rookie of the Year honors in NASCAR racing in 2002, has 12 career Nextel Cup wins. He has won seven races in the Busch Series since 2001 – the same year he graduated from Purdue University with a B.S. degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering.

Hornish and Castroneves have three Indianapolis 500 victories between them. Hornish, a three-time IndyCar series champion, is the winningest driver in series history having won 18 events including the 2006 Indianapolis 500. Castroneves, a native of Sao Paolo, Brazil, has won 17 open-wheel races, including back-to-back victories at Indianapolis in 2001 and 2002. Both drivers will also compete in the upcoming Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race on Jan. 27-28, 2007.

“Our motorsports relationships help us create business opportunities with other sponsors and racing enthusiasts, whether they’re die-hard NASCAR fans or business partners in the racing community,” said Jeffrey W. Hayzlett, Chief Marketing Officer, Graphic Communications Group, and a Kodak vice president. “Nextel Cup, IndyCar Series, and Busch Series racing all have immensely loyal fans, and we hope to capture their enthusiasm for Kodak products and services, both on and off the tracks.”