INTERSTATE BAKERIES CORPORATIONS SIGNS SPONSORSHIP DEAL WITH PROFESSIONAL RACING'S LEADING WOMEN DRIVERS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 22, 2005) -- Three of professional racing's leading women drivers -- Danica Patrick (IRL), Leilani Munter (NASCAR) and
Melanie Troxel (NHRA) -- have signed on to become Hostess(R) "Race Divas"
under a new sponsorship agreement with the brand famous for many of America's
all-time favorite snack cakes.
The racing sponsorship program will involve Hostess(R) Twinkies(R), Cup
Cakes and Donettes(R) and feature a range of promotional activities, including
special limited edition packaging and displays, which will debut next year,
with photos of the three drivers.
"Interest in women in professional racing continues to grow, with Danica,
Leilani and Melanie serving as excellent ambassadors for the sport," said
Kevin Kaul, Hostess marketing manager. "We are pleased to sponsor these
outstanding drivers as they pursue their dreams and inspire an even more
diverse fan base, and, at the same time, leverage the opportunity to connect
the iconic Hostess brand with the enthusiasm surrounding racing and women's
increasing prominence in the sport."
"Having grown up with Twinkies and Cup Cakes, I am thrilled to have
Hostess as a sponsor and to be part of the Hostess Race Divas program," said
Ms. Patrick. "It's an exciting opportunity to bring together America's
favorite brand of snack cakes with the country's favorite spectator sport."
As the 2005 IRL Indy Car Series Rookie of the Year, Danica Patrick has
emerged as an international superstar of racing, further increasing the
popularity of one of the hottest professional sports around. In addition to
her impressive 4th place finish at this year's Indianapolis 500, Danica had 5
other top ten race finishes in 2005 including a 6th place finish in the Peak
Antifreeze Indy 300. She also won the pole starting position at 3 races
during the 2005 season, tying a record for most poles won in a single season.
Her impressive record also includes a 3rd place finish in the 2004 Toyota
Atlantic Championship -- the highest finish by a female driver in series
history -- a 2nd place finish at the 2003 Formula Ford Festival in England --
the highest finish ever by an American driver -- and a win at the 2002 Long
Beach Grand Prix Pro/Celebrity event. She was born in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Leilani Munter, who has signed to race for Konica Minolta in the NASCAR
Elite Division for the 2006 season, qualified 4th and finished 7th at the
Texas Motor Speedway in her first super late model race in 2004. She made her
debut in 2003 at the South Boston Speedway, where she placed 9th. In addition
to racing in the NASCAR Elite Division, she is a race instructor at Fast Track
High Performance Driving School and a special correspondent for NASCAR.com.
Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Leilani once worked as a photo double for
actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Melanie Troxel is a two-time NHRA champion and a record holder in the
Alcohol Dragster class, in which she placed 2nd for the championship. Most
recently, she was the runner up in the 2005 NHRA Finals in Pamona, California.
She also has earned the distinction as the fastest female racer in NHRA
history at over 330 MPH. In 2000, Melanie received the NHRA Road to the
Future Award and was the Top Fuel runner up at the NHRA O'Reilly Fall
Nationals in Dallas. Having spent a lifetime around the racetrack, the
Littleton, Colorado native is the daughter of the late veteran drag racer Mike
Troxel.
The maker of Hostess(R) products, Interstate Bakeries Corporation, is one
of the nation's largest wholesale bakers and distributors of fresh baked bread
and sweet goods under various brand names including Wonder(R), Dolly
Madison(R), Baker's Inn(R), Home Pride(R), Merita(R) and Drake's(R). For more
information visit http://www.hostesscakes.com.
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