Attendees of the Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500, being held on January 8, 2005 at the Joel Coliseum and sponsored by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, will get a preview of the Winston Cup Museum, opening in the Spring of 2005.
The Winston Cup Museum Pavilion will provide Fitness 500 fans with a sampling of items from the Museum, to include show cars, drivers' suits and trophies. The array of cars will include Smokin' Joe #23, Winston No Bull #23, Dale Earnhardt #3, Matt Kenseth #17 Victory Lap with the 2003 Winston Cup Championship Trophy, Jeff Gordon #24, original T. Wayne Robertson show car, Richard Petty Dodge Last Lap, Winston S2, Winston #1 and others.
Many of the cars and items in the Pavilion will be part of the Winston Cup Museum, an exciting, new attraction opening early next year showcasing racing uniforms, cars, trophies and numerous other Winston Cup branded items. An entire wall in the museum will serve as the canvas for a mural, chronicling the 33 years R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company sponsored the sport of motor racing.
"We are working to preserve the culture and heritage of the Winston Cup series in a way that fans can enjoy and reminisce about," said Will Spencer, owner of the museum and president of JKS Motorsports. "We encourage residents who might have Winston Cup items to bring them to the museum and help us build our collection."
The Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500® is a community health event featuring the stars of NASCAR®. General admission is $15, with children under age 2 admitted free. All proceeds will benefit Brenner Children's Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.
Rusty Wallace and Carl Edwards join the slate of drivers scheduled to appear at the Wake Forest Baptist Fitness 500 on January 8. NASCAR drivers and stars also scheduled to appear include: Mike Helton, Bobby Allison, Ray Evernham, Chocolate Meyers, Ron Hornaday and Teri MacDonald. Ann Schrader, wife of Kenny Schrader, is scheduled to compete on the Women's Auxiliary of Motorsports (WAM) team.
"We have had some changes in the drivers' commitments, such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., as holiday schedules are cemented and sponsors make their final requests of the drivers for the year," said. J. Kevin Bokeno, vice president of marketing and public relations at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. "We encourage fans to continually check the event's website at www.fitness500.com for the latest information regarding the event. In addition, there are a number of drivers who may become available as their holiday schedules are finalized. So fans may be in for a few surprises."
During the event, drivers' teams will compete in a fitness challenge followed by a live racing memorabilia auction and two-hour autograph session. Attendees will be able to participate in health screenings and receive information on a variety of healthcare topics from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, one of the nation's top academic medical centers.
Tickets can be purchased at the Joel Coliseum Box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com, through local Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 336-722-6400 in Winston-Salem or 336-852-1100 in Greensboro. For more information, call the coliseum box office at 336-725-5635, ext. 350.
After purchasing a ticket, fans must obtain a wristband in order to attend an autograph session of a driver. Wristbands will be dispersed through a priority system based on the time of ticket purchase and are subject to availability. Wristbands will be distributed beginning at 7 a.m. on January 8, 2005. The schedule for wristband distribution can be found on Wake Forest Baptist's website at www.wfubmc.edu.
Allegacy Federal Credit Union is the marquee sponsor for this event. Other team sponsors include Sara Lee Branded Apparel, Corporate Express, The Scope Exchange, Aramark, Lowes Home Improvement, Hayes Jewelers, Nextel, Hanes Mall, Sodexho and GlaxoSmithKline.
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Media Contacts: Rae Beasley (336) 716-6878, rabeasle@wfubmc.edu; Shannon Koontz (336) 716-2415, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu; or Karen Richardson (336) 716-4453, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu.
Media Relations
Main Number: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587