Wal-Mart Partners With NASCAR to Kick Off NASCAR Season

CHARLOTTE, NC — The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced "NASCAR Comes to Wal-Mart," a major event at more than 1,100 Wal-Mart stores to draw attention to the start of the 2005 NASCAR season. The promotion will roll into 43 NASCAR race markets throughout the 10-month 2005 NASCAR season.

To kick off the NASCAR season, more than 1,100 Wal-Mart stores within 50 miles of 36 race markets in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and seven markets in the NASCAR Busch Series will participate in the NASCAR promotion. Wal-Mart stores will feature NASCAR-themed point-of-sale displays for partners such as Duracell, Gillette, Jack Link's, Ice Breakers and Kodak in the NASCAR promotion. The NASCAR Fan Guide will feature NASCAR highlights and milestones, team rosters, the 2005 NASCAR schedules, and shopping lists of items that fans can purchase enhance their racing experience. More than one million NASCAR Fan Guides were developed exclusively for the promotion.

More than 500 Wal-Mart stores will also feature NASCAR-themed "retailtainment" activities. For example, fans can test their knowledge of the sport in the "NASCAR Comes to Wal-Mart Match Game" — a trivia game tied to visiting NASCAR sponsor displays at Wal-Mart. More than 100 of these stores will feature parking lot sponsor fan fests that will provide an array of fun activities for NASCAR fans and customers. Sponsors featured in the "retailtainment" portion of the promotion include: Coca-Cola, M&M, Kingsford, Pedigree and Kellogg. Fans can enjoy the Coca-Cola wall of Speed, riding in a Kellogg's race car simulator, or getting up close to their favorite sponsor show cars.

"Wal-Mart is an important partner to NASCAR because they are the largest retailer of NASCAR products with the greatest selection of NASCAR licensee and sponsor products for our fans," said Don Rothwell, managing director of Licensing Retail Development for NASCAR. "The 'NASCAR Comes to Wal-Mart' promotion is a fun and interactive way to get fans ready for the NASCAR 2005 season."

Additionally, starting February 1 through mi-March, Wal-Mart will be the exclusive retailer of the new DVD, NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience from Warner Home Video. The IMAX DVD provides an insider's perspective of NASCAR racing and was the second-highest grossing film documentary of 2004.

Wal-Mart currently offers more than 250 NASCAR sponsor products, making it the largest seller of NASCAR licensee and sponsor products in the country.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing holds 1,800 racing events in 36 states at more than 110 tracks.