Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release

CONCORD, N.C. (March 12, 2008) – Juan Pablo Montoya and his wife Connie hosted NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, Driver and Founder of the Victory Junction Gang Camp Kyle Petty, Team Owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates, Executive Director of the NASCAR Foundation Sandy Marshall and a number of other NASCAR executives in their home country of Colombia on Monday and Tuesday. The group toured the historic city of Cartagena before visiting one of the athletic sites built by the Montoyas’ foundation Formula Smiles.

Notes of Interest:

· The NASCAR Difference –

France, on behalf of the NASCAR Foundation, presented the Montoyas and their Foundation Formula Smiles with a check for $25,000 on Tuesday at one of the athletic sites built by Formula Smiles in Cartagena, Colombia.
· Sporting Smiles in Colombia –

The Formula Smiles children performed a traditional Colombian dance for the guests of honor, paraded through the site in their athletic uniforms and put on a small demonstration of the sports they participate in thanks to the generosity of Formula Smiles and the Montoyas. The event saw a group of over 50 VIPs and nearly as many members of the Colombian and International media.

· Where It All Happens –

In the middle of a poverty-stricken area sits a sporting oasis for the children of Cartagena. The Formula Smiles facility consists of basketball and Volleyball courts, soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts and a gymnastics area. In addition, the same facility hosts a myriad of different cultural activities for parents and all the community.

· Formula Smiles –

Formula Smiles is a non-profit organization founded by Montoya and his wife Connie that utilizes sports to improve the quality of life of Colombian children. The Foundation provides the necessary equipment and teachers to enable under-privileged kids to engage in athletics in an academic and recreational manner. The primary goals of the foundation are to teach values that will make the children better citizens, reinforce what has been learned in school, keep them away from drugs and violence and most importantly give them a reason to smile. For more information please visit the website: www.formulasmiles.org.

· NASCAR Foundation –

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., (NASCAR) launched the NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities. The Foundation supports a wide range of charitable initiatives that reflect the core values of the entire NASCAR Family. The NASCAR Foundation will use strength of the sport and its people to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. For more information on the NASCAR Foundation, please visit the website: www.nascar.com/foundation.

CGRFS Quoteboard:

Juan Pablo Montoya, Driver and Founder of Formula Smiles

“The NASCAR family is unbelievable. Not only have they embraced Connie and I, but our country, as well. I can’t thank everyone enough that came here to see what it is we do and what the every day needs of the people, especially the children, of Colombia are. It means so much to Connie and I that they took the time to come here, meet with the children and give so generously to our Foundation.”

Chip Ganassi, Team Owner

“Juan is widely known for all the success that he has had on the track – from Indianapolis to Monaco to Sonoma - and that is fitting because he deserves that. But what he and Connie do off the track is every bit as impressive and also deserves attention. This facility and the program they created are unbelievable. The impact they make on the lives of Colombian children is a sight to behold. I am so proud of both of them.”

Felix Sabates, Team Owner

“This was just spectacular – everything about it. The obvious elements of the site were the athletic facilities and equipment but the thing that really warmed your heart were the smiles on each and every child’s face. That is what this program that Juan and Connie created is all about. I am so glad I was able to be here and see it for myself.”

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