Happy Mother’s Day - This Weekend, NASCAR® Stars Take a Moment to Remember Mom in Darlington
Last year, several NASCAR drivers teamed up with Action Performance Companies Inc., to wish their
"NASCAR Dads" a Happy Father’s Day via a race day program at Michigan International Speedway.
Now, some "NASCAR Moms" are getting their due.
Veteran drivers Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty will pilot Happy Mother’s Day-edition race cars during the
500-mile NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series at Darlington Raceway. Jarrett’s No. 88 UPS Ford Taurus will include
a nod to his mother, Martha, while Petty will roll out the No. 45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge Charger
with a Happy Mother’s Day dedication to his mom, Lynda.
In keeping with NASCAR’s long-standing tradition of no stock car races held on the actual Mother’s Day
holiday, the cars will run on Saturday night, May 7, 2005. Martha Jarrett, Lynda Petty and several other
NASCAR Moms will be on hand to announce racing’s most famous tagline with an appropriate twist: Sons and
Gentlemen, start your engines.
"My Mom is one of the greatest drivers I have ever known," Kyle Petty explained. "Nobody
could get us kids to school in the carpool faster. I am honored to be Lynda Petty’s son, and I wanted to
share my appreciation for her in a way that seems appropriate for Petty Enterprises. Actually, it is a
great way to say ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ to all the NASCAR Moms everywhere."
As with last year’s Father’s Day racing event, Action Performance, the leader in licensed motorsports
merchandise, helped to create the Mother’s Day program and design the related vehicles. Action also will
produce die-cast replicas of both the No. 88 UPS/Happy Mother’s Day Ford and No. 45
Georgia-Pacific/Brawny-Happy Mother’s Day Dodge stock cars.
"It's nice to have the opportunity to honor my Mom in such a unique way on Mother’s Day weekend,"
Dale Jarrett said. "She deserves a lot of credit for all she did to keep our family running smoothly
when we were kids, especially when Dad was off racing quite a bit. This is just a small token of appreciation
for all the support she has given our family and my career over the years."
This year’s participants in the Happy Mother’s Day program also are eligible for a $10,000 cash bonus. The prize
will be awarded to the highest finishing driver, who then will present it to his mother or her favorite charitable
organization.
"For so many NASCAR Moms, the decision to let their children race around in lightning fast cars is incredibly
difficult," said Fred Wagenhals, Action’s chairman, president and CEO. "However, Mom still can be relied
on to be among the most ardent supporters once her child is competing on the racetrack. It is time that NASCAR Moms
were recognized for their effort in building their children’s racing careers, and this year’s night race at Darlington
offers a prime opportunity to do just that."
A percentage of the proceeds from the sales of the Happy Mother’s Day die-cast have been earmarked to benefit the
Victory Junction Gang Camp, which provides a free-of-charge camping experience for children fighting illnesses such
as cancer, sickle-cell anemia, HIV and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The collectibles will be available through
Action’s usual distribution channels, including the Action Racing Collectables distributor network and Racing Collectables
Club of America. To locate an ARC distributor, please call 1-800-411-8404. To join RCCA, call 1-800-952-0708 or visit www.goracing.com.
For media assistance or more information regarding the Happy Mother’s Day program and a special Mother-Son Question &
Answer session on May 7, please contact Action Performance’s Advertising and Public Relations department or go to
http://www.action-performance.com/mothersday.
Source: Action Performance Companies Inc.
Date: May 6, 2005
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