UPS Moving to Michael Waltrip Racing

, July 07, 2006

Famed Partnership With Dale Jarrett Stays Intact When Toyota Camry Hits Track in 2007

UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced a two-year agreement with Michael Waltrip Racing to sponsor driver Dale Jarrett in a Toyota Camry for the 2007 and 2008 seasons of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

The announcement here at the Chicagoland Speedway comes after Jarrett agreed earlier this year to move to the Waltrip organization and race a Camry starting with the 2007 Daytona 500.

UPS has supported Jarrett since 2001 when it first became a NASCAR team sponsor, in the process launching its highly popular "Race the Truck" advertising campaign. That campaign has made Jarrett's name synonymous with UPS and its "big brown truck" and maintaining that brand connection was a factor in the company's decision.

"Dale Jarrett has been an outstanding ambassador for the UPS brand both on and off the track and we expect more great things to come as we join him at Michael Waltrip Racing as the sponsor of his Toyota Camry," said Patrick Guilbert, vice president of sponsorships for UPS. "Since our relationship with Dale began in 2001, his contributions have helped UPS build a powerful sponsorship program that resonates with our employees, customers and NASCAR fans alike."

"My association with UPS over the past six years has been both rewarding and fun, so I'm thrilled to be able to continue this relationship," Jarrett said. "UPS has set new standards in the way sponsors can work with drivers and the teams to develop creative and effective marketing programs."

The decision to join Michael Waltrip Racing places UPS among the first sponsors to adorn a Toyota Camry in 2007, which is the manufacturer's inaugural season in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

"The UPS name also is synonymous with speed and that's what Michael Waltrip Racing intends to deliver to UPS and Dale with the new UPS Toyota Camry," said owner Michael Waltrip. "From a business perspective, the addition of UPS expands our resources, which enables us to build the best teams and in turn grow our organization at a pace that will enhance our ability to win races."

"We are ecstatic for Michael to have UPS join his already impressive lineup of sponsors," said Jim Aust, vice president of Motorsports, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. "Michael and his team have done a phenomenal job in partnering with some of America's most recognizable brands, and UPS is a tremendously successful company that is recognized by households as a global business leader. We are in full support of Michael Waltrip Racing fielding three NASCAR Nextel Cup teams in 2007 and feel Michael has formed the foundation of a formidable racing organization that we are proud to have carry the Toyota nameplate."

UPS will continue its sponsorship of Dale Jarrett and Robert Yates Racing through the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season.

"Robert Yates Racing has been an important part of the UPS Racing Program for the last six years," Guilbert added. "We're proud to have been associated with the Yates family and we appreciate their support of our corporate sponsorship goals over the years."