INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 28, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers Elliott Sadler and Jerry Nadeau have each given an enthusiastic "thumbs up" to the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway simulation that will soon debut at NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway locations.
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Sadler and Nadeau recently tried out the Indianapolis racing simulation which will open to the public at NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway's 12 locations on Feb. 2, according to William R. Donaldson, Chairman and CEO of Interactive Motorsports and Entertainment Corp. (OTCBB:IMTS). Perfect Line, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of IMTS, owns and operates the unique NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway mall-based racing centers.
Sadler and executives of M&M/Mars, which will sponsor him as he moves to Robert Yates Racing in 2003, visited the Concord Mills Mall location of NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway, located near Charlotte, N.C. After Sadler and the executives raced against each other on some of the other NASCAR Winston Cup tracks available on the simulators, store managers rolled out a private test of the new Indianapolis simulation. Sadler, as he had done on the other tracks, took the checkered flag in simulated races at the Brickyard.
"That's good!" said Sadler after finishing the simulated race on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, noting the need to brake in turns one and three just as he does when racing at the famous track. "If you over-brake in those turns, you lose valuable position. Two and four (in the simulator) are right on the money because no braking is needed there."
NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway has plans to enter into a promotional agreement with M&M/Mars for 2003.
Nadeau, who drove for Petty Enterprises in the 2002 season, also visited the Concord Mills location and was given a private test of the Indianapolis simulation. "The simulation is incredible," said Nadeau, a former race winner in NASCAR Winston Cup competition. "I almost felt that I could learn something that would help me in the next Brickyard 400."
In conjunction with the launch of simulated racing at Indianapolis on February 2, NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway locations throughout the United States will participate in the "Brickyard Challenge" promotion. For the special price of $19.95, customers will be able to compete in two races on the Brickyard and will also receive a Brickyard Challenge t-shirt.
The racing centers also currently feature Atlanta Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway on the simulators. Bristol Motor Speedway was added in October.
Perfect Line's NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway racing centers are the largest chain of officially licensed, NASCAR-branded interactive entertainment stores in the world, and offers its customers the most popular NASCAR merchandise available. Perfect Line has integrated sophisticated proprietary racing simulator technology with an exclusive NASCAR license for location-based entertainment and licenses for popular NASCAR tracks and teams. NASCAR racing is considered the number one spectator sport in America, with an estimated 75 million fans and over $1 billion in NASCAR branded retail merchandise sales.
For more information on IMTS, please visit our website at www.SMSonline.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this Press Release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, and the business prospects of Interactive Motorsports & Entertainment Corporation, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the Company's actual results in future periods to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the outlook for the economy and the effect on future revenues, access to and cost of capital, uncertainty of new product development, competition, and dependence on updated technology and licenses and leases.