Stewart, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon set to drive for Team CITGO at Rolex 24
As a key element of an aggressive new Hispanic marketing initiative, CITGO Petroleum Corporation announced today that the company is sponsoring Latin racing star Milka Duno and her Rolex Series racing team in 2004.
Duno and the team's No. 09 CITGO Pontiac Crawford Daytona Prototype willkick off their 2004 campaign January 31 - February 1 at the Rolex 24 AtDaytona, teaming with NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, Stephane Gregoire and carowner Doug Goad. CITGO will also outfit the No. 2 Chevrolet CrawfordDaytona Prototype, manned by three-time Rolex 24 winner Andy Wallace, aswell as NASCAR superstars Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"The sponsorship of race driver Milka Duno in the Rolex Series will play anintegral role in putting CITGO on the map with the Hispanic community," saidDon Rucks, CITGO brand development manager. "The rapidly changing ethniclandscape in the U.S. provides a perfect opportunity for CITGO to employ ahighly concentrated effort to reach the Hispanic consumer, and thechampionship program we have put together for Milka in the Rolex Seriesthis season will be a major tool in that effort."
"We are delighted to have CITGO and Milka join us in Rolex Sports CarSeries," said Grand American Road Racing Association President RogerEdmondson. "This announcement corresponds with an initiative that GrandAmerican is currently working on to increase our fan base within theHispanic community. We feel that the addition of Milka as one of our DaytonaPrototype drivers with CITGO's support will help us in achieving both of ourgoals."
After Daytona, Duno and co-pilot Wallace along with the CITGO racing teamwill hit the track running at the 11 remaining Rolex Series races in theCITGO Pontiac Crawford DP03 Daytona Prototype. The U.S. race venues arelocated in a number of high-density Hispanic markets such as Phoenix, Ariz.,Homestead, Fla., and Fontana, Calif., as well as other markets with largeconcentrations of CITGO branded outlets.
A combination of brainpower and horsepower, Duno completed her undergraduate education as a naval engineer and holds four master's degrees -- inorganizational development, naval architecture, maritime business and marinebiology. She has driven in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is the first woman toreach the podium in sports cars highest class and competed last year as aVIP driver in the Porsche Supercup race as part of the Formula One GrandPrix of Spain.
Duno spent most of 2003 driving for Vergani Racing in theultra competitive World Series Light by Nissan Championship with races inSpain, Italy, Germany, Austria and France.
CITGO, based in Tulsa, Okla., is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, refined waxes, asphalt and other industrial products. The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., anindirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., thenational oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Tickets to the Rolex 24 At Daytona are currently on sale and can bepurchased online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling386-253-RACE. SPEED Channel will broadcast more than 15 hours of the Rolex24 At Daytona live.
