Firestone Racing’s Auction Benefits United WayFirestone Indy 200 Honorary Starter Package sells for $3,150
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 10, 2008) – For most people, the chance to wave the green flag at the start of an IndyCar Series race would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But for one generous Nashville resident, Patrick McKennon, that opportunity will happen twice, as he has placed the highest bid in Firestone Racing’s online auction to serve as the Honorary Starter for the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway for the second consecutive year. McKennon’s bid – a whopping $3,150 - will go straight to the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville as part of Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSA)’s annual “Racing to Help” United Way campaign.
“The IndyCar Series is the fastest open-wheel racing,” said McKennon. “I love the speed and the class of drivers. And now with the unification [between the IndyCar Series and the Champ Car World Series], there is more promise for the future both in sponsorship and recognition. And my kids absolutely love how close you can get to the cars and the drivers.
“It's just a great opportunity that Firestone has made this available,” he continued. “I mean, how often in a lifetime are you ever able to wave the green flag for a major event? To be able to do this again and give to United Way, it's the best of both worlds. I feel strongly it is everyone's responsibility to give back in some way to the community, and this has been one of the best ways for me.”
The Firestone Indy 200 will take place on Saturday, July 12, at Nashville Superspeedway in Gladeville, just outside Lebanon, Tenn. McKennon will have the honor of waving the green flag to signal the start of the race while IndyCar Series stars such as Danica Patrick, Helio Castroneves, Graham Rahal and Scott Dixon go thundering past the start/finish line on the 1.33-mile concrete oval.
“Firestone Racing would like to extend our most sincere thanks to Mr. McKennon and his family for their generous contribution to the United Way, and for being such enthusiastic supporters of our motorsports program and of the IndyCar Series,” commented Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing. “He and his family were such a pleasure to host as our guests last year, and we were thrilled to learn that they enjoyed the experience enough to want to do it all again! The passionate support of fans like the McKennons is one of the things that makes the IndyCar Series so great and all the hard work Firestone Racing puts into developing its world class race tires that much more worthwhile.”
Tickets for the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway are available by calling 1-866-RACE-TIX, or online at www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com.
About Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.:
Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc. (BSAH) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAH and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, synthetic rubber and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAH family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers.
About Nashville Superspeedway:
Nashville Superspeedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate tracks in three states, and present more than 500 motorsports events each year. This includes 16 major, national events which operate under the auspices of three of the premier sanctioning bodies in the U.S. — NASCAR, NHRA, and IRL. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo., and Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tenn. For further information log on to www.dovermotorsports.com.
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on management's beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to vary materially. Please refer to the SEC filings of DVD for a discussion of such factors.