DETROIT, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Appearances by former NASCAR and IndyCar champions Kurt Busch and Gil de Ferran highlight the return of Racing Day to the 2009 North American International Auto Show. Motorsport stars from NASCAR, Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), American Le Mans Series (ALMS), National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), Firestone Indy Lights and IndyCar Series will participate on Friday, Jan. 23, 2009 at Cobo Center in Detroit.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081110/CLM078LOGO )
In its fourth year, Racing Day will feature two sets of 30-minute question and answer sessions, each followed by a 30-minute autograph session. The event, which is sponsored by Sprint, offers fans the chance to meet professional motorsport drivers and collect free giveaways from the various racing series and 2009 calendars from Michigan International Speedway.
Drivers participating in the 12:00 p.m. question and answer session
include:
-- Kurt Busch - NASCAR
-- Gil de Ferran - ALMS
-- Ben Devlin - ALMS
-- Gabi DiCarlo - ARCA
Drivers participating in the 5:00 p.m. session include:
-- Robb Brent - ARCA
-- Robbie Buhl - IndyCar
-- Gabi DiCarlo - ARCA
-- Alistair (Ali) Jackson - Indy Lights
-- Brian Keselowski - ARCA
-- Hillary Will - NHRA
"The 2009 NAIAS has something for everyone, especially for motorsport enthusiasts on Auto Racing Day," said NAIAS Senior Co-Chair Joe Serra. "Auto Racing Day offers visitors the opportunity to not only see incredible exhibits at the NAIAS, but also the chance to meet and interact with motorsports superstars, past and future champions."
As presenting sponsor, Sprint will provide a special interactive display that showcases four 3/4-scale racing simulators. Auto enthusiasts familiar with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will get the chance to have their own real- life driving experience when they climb behind the wheel and compete with family and friends in a race to the finish line.
"The NAIAS gives Sprint a wonderful opportunity to feed the need for speed for fans from across the country," said Kim Green-Kerr, area vice president - Michigan & Northwest Ohio, Sprint. "We're doing our part at this event to help satisfy race fans who simply cannot wait for the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series opener in February."
Robbie Buhl, a former IndyCar Series competitor and 1992 Indy Lights Champion who was recently named to the IndyCar Series 2009 TV broadcast team, will also lead a group of children from the "Racing for Kids" program on a tour of the show floor. "Racing for Kids" is a nonprofit organization that is designed to use the increasing popularity of motorsports to focus public attention and funding on the health care needs of children. Beginning in the afternoon, Buhl will guide approximately 20 patients and family members from Children's Hospital of Michigan around the show floor so they can look at the exhibits and experience some of the show's hottest cars from a racer's perspective.
NAIAS Racing Day runs from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2009. Public day tickets are required to attend this event, which can be found on www.naias.com. For more information, contact Lacey Lambert at llambert@dada.org.
Driver Bios
Kurt Busch
2004 NASCAR Cup Champion, Busch starts his 9th season in NASCAR's premier division behind the wheel of the Penske Racing No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge.
Gil de Ferran
Two-time Champ Car champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, Team Owner de Ferran will drive a factory-backed LMP1 Acura in the 2009 American Le Mans Series.
Ben Devlin
A veteran sports car racer, Englishman Devlin, driving in 2009 for Dyson Racing, made his first start at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 6th in class.
Gabi DiCarlo
DiCarlo enters her third season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series driving the No. 90 Great Clips Toyota Camry for Stringer Motorsports.
Robb Brent
An experienced road racer, Brent moved to circle track racing in 2007 with the newly formed Brad Keselowski Racing driving in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Robbie Buhl
A veteran IndyCar driver and co-owner of the Dreyer and Reinbold IndyCar team, Buhl joins the Versus IndyCar Series broadcast team in 2009 with veteran racing broadcasters Jon Beekhuis and Bob Jenkins.
Alistair (Ali) Jackson
Jackson, the youngest driver to win in the Asian F3 series, joins Guthrie Meyer Racing in 2009 in search of the Firestone Indy Lights championship and an eventual move to the IndyCar Series.
Brian Keselowski
Rochester Hills, Michigan native Keselowski will drive the No 26 K Automotive Motorsports Dodge in the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series and will also compete in select ARCA RE/MAX Series events.
Hillary Will
The world's fastest female, Will piloted the KB Racing LLC Top Fuel dragster to a top speed of 334.65 mph in the first event of the 2008 NHRA season in Pomona, California.
NAIAS 2009 Official Dates
The 2009 show Public Days will be held Saturday, Jan. 17 through Sunday, Jan. 25. Ticket prices: $12 for adults; $6 for seniors; $6 for children 7-12; free for children 6 and under when accompanied by a parent or guardian. To order tickets online, or for more information, visit www.naias.com.
About the North American International Auto Show
Rod Alberts - Executive Director
Entering its 21st year as an international event, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) hosts more brands, manufacturers and media than any other automotive event in the Western Hemisphere. The NAIAS is the only auto show in the United States to earn an annual distinguished sanction of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), the Paris-based alliance of automotive trade associations and manufacturers from around the world. The NAIAS Web site can be accessed at www.naias.com.
Photo: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081110/CLM078LOGOPRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
SOURCE: North American International Auto Show
Web site: http://www.naias.com/
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