Harrah's To Sponsor Larry Foyt in Winston Cup
 Harrah's
Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: HET) today announced it will serve as primary
sponsor of driver Larry Foyt in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. The
sponsorship will introduce the Harrah's name to 40 million loyal Winston
Cup race fans and will put the Foyt name back behind the wheel in auto
racing's premier series.
Under the terms of the two-year sponsorship deal, Foyt will drive the
No. 14 Harrah's Dodge Intrepid for A.J. Foyt Racing, the team owned by
the 25-year-old rookie's father and racing legend. The younger Foyt will
make his Winston Cup race debut Feb. 16 at the Daytona 500 – a race his
father won in 1972."We're thrilled to return
the Foyt name to the ranks of NASCAR Winston Cup drivers and, in so
doing, introduce the Harrah's brand to the millions of enthusiastic
racing fans who enjoy casino gaming," said Gary Loveman, Harrah's
president and chief executive officer. "This sponsorship is the next
step in a winning tradition that brings together two of the biggest
names in racing and gaming: Foyt and Harrah's."
The deal announced today marks a new milestone in the relationship
between the casino company, auto racing and the Foyt family.
Harrah's broke into professional motorsports in 1997, when it first
served as a sponsor for one of the elder Foyt's teams in the Indy Racing
League (IRL). Harrah's continued its Foyt-IRL relationship until 2001,
when it became Larry Foyt's title sponsor in the NASCAR Busch Grand
National Series. Harrah's also sponsored Larry Foyt's car in the
American Speed Association (ASA) in 2000 while continuing to serve as
sponsor for A.J. Foyt Racing in the IRL.
"Going from running my own team in Busch to driving for my father in
Winston Cup is a huge step for me," said Larry Foyt. "There's no
question this year will be a challenge, but the lessons I learned last
year will be a huge help, as will the continuing support of Harrah's."
Last year, Foyt qualified in the top-10 three times, with two starts in
the top-five. His career best finish of eighth came at Talladega
Superspeedway in the spring. In his rookie Busch season, his best start
was fifth at Michigan and his best finish was 12th at Talladega.
"Larry has grown up around racing, and he knows it can be a tough
business, especially at this level," said A.J. Foyt. "He has all the
skills he needs to succeed, and he'll gain more experience with every
race. He's got a tremendous will to win, and I think he's going to
surprise a lot of people with his consistency."
Founded 65 years ago, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. operates 26 casinos
in the United States, primarily under the Harrah's brand name. Harrah's
Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its target
customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent
products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and
technology leadership.
|
