Earnhardt Brothers Roaring Into Richmond

(July 29, 2002 – Burbank, CA) – Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd, Wile E. Coyote & Road Runner, Sylvester, & Tweety . . . Earnhardt & Earnhardt? A new chapter of Looney Tunes lore will be written as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his brother Kerry Earnhardt square off at the NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday, September 6th, at Richmond International Raceway. The Earnhardt brothers, through a partnership between Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Chevrolet, and Action Performance Companies, Inc., will both race Looney Tunes-themed Chevrolet Monte Carlos in what is sure to be an animated showdown. The No. 8 Chevrolet Monte Carlo of Dale Earnhardt Jr. will feature Gossamer, the orange-haired, lovable Looney Tunes monster, and an assortment of other Looney Tunes characters. Yosemite Sam will grace Kerry Earnhardt’s No.12 Chevrolet. The race in Richmond will mark just the third Busch Series start in 2002 for Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the stars of NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series. Currently, Kerry Earnhardt is midway through his rookie season in the Busch Series. The Friday night Busch Series race precedes the Saturday, September 7th Winston Cup event, the Monte Carlo 400 with the Looney Tunes – The Rematch!, which will feature nine Looney-Tunes themed cars driven by some of NASCAR’s finest drivers. "I raced in the Busch Series a few times already this year and really enjoyed myself,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “It’s good competition, and at Richmond it’s fun racing under the lights on a Friday night. This is a new program, and it’ll be exciting driving the Looney Tunes Monte Carlo into Victory Lane.” "We're thrilled to be a part of the Looney Tunes team for the Busch Race at Richmond,” said Kerry Earnhardt. “Any time you race on Friday night under the lights it's always an exciting time. Richmond is one of those races that you never can predict the outcome because anything can happen. I can't wait to see Yosemite Sam holding onto the hood as I drive my Chevrolet into turn one." “It’s very exciting to have the Earnhardt brothers in this program,” said Jim Campbell, Monte Carlo Marketing Director. “They are both valued members of the Monte Carlo racing family, and we look forward to watching them on the track together in Richmond.” The Busch Series race featuring the Earnhardt brothers is an expansion of last year’s successful Looney Tunes program and will serve as the opening act for the main event – the next evening’s NASCAR Winston Cup race at Richmond, the Monte Carlo 400 with the Looney Tunes – The Rematch! For the second straight year, some of NASCAR’s best Winston Cup drivers will team up with the Looney Tunes characters and race under the lights at Richmond. Drivers who will race the Looney Tunes-branded Chevrolet Monte Carlos, which feature bold paint schemes and unique designs to capture the spirit of the driver and characters, include Jeff Gordon (Bugs Bunny), Kevin Harvick (Tasmanian Devil), Jimmie Johnson (Sylvester & Tweety), Terry Labonte (Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner), Jeff Green (Daffy Duck), Bobby Hamilton (Marvin The Martian and K-9), Robby Gordon (Pepe Le Pew), Mike Skinner (Yosemite Sam), and Joe Nemechek (Speedy Gonzales). “Last year’s program was tremendously exciting for NASCAR fans, and we are pleased to be able to extend the animated action to the Busch Series race,” said Jordan Sollitto, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “We are looking forward to partnering our characters with two of the most exciting drivers in racing.” Expected to be the biggest race-related NASCAR promotion ever, this year’s Looney Tunes program will be supported by a comprehensive national promotional campaign including participation from the following key partners; Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Chevrolet, Action Performance, America Online, NASCAR, Warner Bros. Online, NASCAR.com, TNT and Richmond International Raceway. Elements of the program include a national sweepstakes, television, print and broadcast campaigns, online and radio promotions, on-site exposure and initiatives, point-of-purchase displays and much more. Additionally, there will be an array of Looney Tunes-branded collectible merchandise available through Action Performance. “Having the Looney Tunes cars and both Earnhardt brothers competing in the same race will only add to the interest and excitement for NASCAR fans,” said Fred Wagenhals, President, Chairman, and CEO of Action Performance. “We are thrilled to be part of this program.” “We’re proud to again serve as the host for the entire Looney Tunes program,” said Doug Fritz, President of Richmond International Raceway. “Our fans are expecting a very memorable race weekend, and we won’t disappoint.” About Warner Bros. Consumer Products Warner Bros. Consumer Products is a division of Warner Bros., an AOL Time Warner Company, and is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world. About Chevrolet Monte Carlo Chevrolet is the leader in offering spirited, functional cars and strong rugged trucks with which customers form lasting relationships. The Monte Carlo sport coupe has the heart and soul of a champion, having won more races and more championships than any other car in the modern era of NASCAR. The Monte Carlo embodies the spirit of its NASCAR counterpart through its emphasis on performance-oriented driving excitement. About Action Performance Companies, Inc. Action Performance Companies Inc. (NYSE: ATN) is the leader in the design, promotion, marketing and distribution of licensed motorsports merchandise. The Company’s products include a broad range of motorsports-related die-cast replica collectibles, apparel, souvenirs and other memorabilia. Action Performance markets and distributes products through a variety of channels including the Action Racing Collectables network of wholesale distributors, the Racing Collectables Club of America, QVC, goracing.com, trackside at racing events, direct corporate promotions, mass retail and department stores, specialty dealers and online at nascar.com. About Richmond International Raceway Richmond International Raceway has one of the richest traditions in all of motor sports. The track has hosted NASCAR Winston Cup Series events since 1953 and today is home to two exciting NASCAR weekends and an Indy Racing League weekend. Richmond International Raceway also holds the prestigious distinction as the only track on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series circuit to host two nighttime races, both of which are annual sell-outs. All events at the 3/4-mile D-shaped oval are "Under the Lights." The facility holds more than 102,000 fans, has 34 luxury suites and is one of the most well-liked and respected racetracks by the drivers in each of the six series that competes at the track. Also known as 'The Action Track', Richmond International Raceway is famous for superspeedway-type racing coupled with tight action seen on short tracks. # # #