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ARA AND THE OUTDOOR CHANNEL SIGN 2001 SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE

February 8th, Columbia, SC -- ARA officials announced today a groundbreaking move in the short track racing industry with an agreement to air all 2001 ARA touring races on The Outdoor Channel, a national cable network originating out of Temecula, California. The hour-long program will air every week on Sundays at 5:00pm, Eastern time, with replays on Friday mornings at 7:00am, Eastern time. The Outdoor Channel will become an Associate Sponsor of ARA Touring Series as part of the agreement.

"This is a tremendous achievement for the entire ARA community," said series owner John Huffman. "To be able to showcase the talent and competitiveness of these drivers and teams on a national level is an amazing concept, especially when you consider that the ARA itself is only a year old."

The program will air on a tape delay basis and will include complete race coverage of ARA Late Model Stock All-Star Series and ARA Southern Thunder Series events. Highlights of the ARA Dixie Lightning Pro Truck Series events will be included in the Southern Thunder programs. Updates on the ARA Weekly Racing Series points championship will be woven into the programs as well.

"We realize the value and demographic compatibility of motorsports," offered Wade Sherman, Outdoor Channel VP of Business Development. "We are committed to expanding our presence in the motorsports field, and feel the ARA represents quality short track racing in an area of the country that has been strong for us in the past."

The ARA launched in February of last year with the ARA Late Model Stock All-Star Series and the ARA Weekly Racing Series. Sixteen All-Star races were broadcast tape delayed on regional sports networks in the southeast. Two new touring series have been added for 2001, which will fill up a full 39-week slate of original programs.

"We believe the ARA has the potential to become a major series, and that our audience will respond positively to the brand of racing they bring," added Sherman.

The programming schedule will begin April 8th with three consecutive weeks of ARA All-Star races, then settle into an alternating pattern between the two core Late Model tours. A complete broadcast schedule will be released by the end of the month.

"This relationship with The Outdoor Channel is tremendous," said Louis Smith, VP of Marketing for the ARA. "I don't know of any other touring series in the country, at any level, that will offer the kind of weekly consistency in airing races that the ARA will have at its new home. And the late Sunday afternoon anchor time slot is perfect. We're thrilled about the opportunity that this offers all of the ARA drivers and their sponsors."

The Outdoor Channel, launched in 1994, currently reaches over 14.5 million households in the US. It has experienced tremendous subscriber growth and increased market penetration over the past several years, including over one million new homes in just the past two months. The channel promotes traditional outdoor activities including fishing, hunting and shooting sports, reflected in the majority of its programming.

The Outdoor Channel joins Kool Seal, Goodyear Tires, and Sunoco Race Fuels as major ARA Touring Series sponsors. Network and ARA representatives will be present at the Circle Track Expo at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, February 14th-16th.