Los Angeles, California (February 14, 2006)
Airstar America, Inc., one of the world's premier space lighting companies, has become the newest member of the SCORE International sponsor family, it was announced today by the Los Angeles-based desert racing organization.
The special lighting balloons of Airstar will be debuted at next month's 20th Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, and Airstar will be the Official Space Lighting Provider for all five remaining events of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series, the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series.
Founded in France in 1994, Airstar America, based in North Hollywood, Calif., has offices in nine countries, including U.S. offices in Atlanta, Fort Worth, Texas, Los Angeles and Orlando, Florida.
"With the myriad concerns we have at our events in the U.S. and Mexico, the space lighting products of Airstar America will be an extremely welcome element at SCORE races," said Sal Fish, President/CEO of SCORE, which is celebrating its 33rd year of sanctioning and producing international desert racing events. "To be able to provide this special lighting at start/finish line areas, checkpoints and other key locations around our race courses, will enhance the overall environments of our events significantly. We sincerely welcome Airstar into our SCORE family of sponsor marketing partners."
Airstar is the originator and worldwide leader of award-winning lighting balloon technology. Airstar America provides award-winning lighted balloons for special events, staged productions, live events, sporting events, indoor and outdoor film productions, television broadcast, visual display and architectural lighting. Airstar lighting ballons have also been discovered by the construction and rescue industries as safe, effective lighting sources.
"After working with Robby Gordon at this year's Dakar Rally, we knew we had to contact Sal Fish and get involved with SCORE International," commented Benoit Beylier, President of Airstar America, Inc. "SCORE desert racing is a perfect fit for the type of products we produce and we are really looking forward to expanding our market reach into such a major motorsport arena. Airstar is well known behind the scenes around the world in many different markets and SCORE desert racing will help increase our product visibility immensely."
Producers of live events, including the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, International Pro Beach Volleyball, and the American Music Awards along with a variety of film producers have all experienced Airstar's glare-free, 360-degree lighting units as both a source of light for staged events as well as design elements when covered with custom fabrics.
The other sponsor added to the SCORE lineup for the first time this year is Sunoco Race Fuels, who became the SCORE Official Fuel Supplier in January prior to the 2006 season opener in Laughlin, Nev.
Distributed by long-time SCORE sponsor CL Bryant, Inc., of Modesto, Calif., Sunoco, headquartered in Philadelphia, is also in its third year of a lengthy agreement to be the official fuel of NASCAR. Sunoco, a leading manufacturer and marketer of petroleum and petrochemical products, operative five domestic refineries, and is one of the largest independent refiner-marketers in the United States.
Sunoco Race Fuels, through CL Bryant, has launched an aggressive contingency support program for the SCORE Desert Series.
Airstar and Sunoco have joined a lengthy list of long-time regular SCORE sponsors. For more information regarding the newest members of the SCORE sponsor family, visit the following websites: www.airstar-light.us, www.racegas.com, or www.clbryant.com.
Current SCORE official 2006 sponsors are: BFGoodrich Tires-official tire, Sunoco Race Fuels/CL Bryant-official fuel supplier, Bilstein-official shock, Instant Mexico Auto Insurance-official Mexican auto insurance, Airstar America-official space lighting provider. Associate sponsors are: Tecate Beer, Coca-Cola of Mexico, Las Vegas Events, Terrible Herbst Inc., Kartek Off-Road, Centrix Financial, Fram, Autolite, Prestone, Suzuki, SignPros, Cotuco, Fideicomiso Publico para la Promocion Turistica de Ensenada, P.C.I. Race Radios, McKenzie's Performance Products and Advanced Color Graphics.
Associate sponsors for the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 are the Tourism and Convention Bureau of Mexicali/San Felipe, Cotuco and El Dorado Ranch.
With a race-record of nearly 300 entries expected to compete in 24 Pro and 5 Sportsman classes, the green flag will drop at 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed by the car and truck classes two hours later at approximately 8:30 a.m. at the 20th anniversary of the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. The start and finish line area for the 240.34-mile loop course will once again be the landmark San Felipe arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. All vehicles will have a 10-hour time limit in the elapsed time race and vehicles will start in 30-second intervals.
To date, 295 official entries have been received, led by the unlimited Class 1 with 39. Class 1-2/1600 is next with 37, followed by the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division with 29, SCORE Lite with 21, Class 25 with 18 and Class 10 with 17. Late registration will be accepted up until race morning.
Pre-race festivities at the Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 will include the colorful SCORE Midway and tech inspection on the Malecon beachfront in downtown alongside the azure waters of the Sea of Cortez from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday (March 10).
At 9 p.m. on Saturday (March 11), the awards celebration will be held in front of The Beachcomber Night Club on the Malecon.
Following January's season-opening SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, America's Foremost Desert Racing Series will visit Mexico for the first of three times in 2006.
The race annually provides a greater economic impact to San Felipe than the entire month-long ‘Spring Break'.
The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes chase for the $50,000 Kartek Off-Road contingency bonus to be awarded to several qualified 2006 SCORE Class point leaders.
The 2006 SCORE Desert Series also includes the hunt for the annual Toyota Milestone and $12,000 Toyota True Grit Awards. The prestigious Toyota Milestone Awards are presented to every racer who completes every required mile of every race in the 2006 SCORE Desert Series. The $12,000 Toyota True Grit purse is split among the SCORE season point champions who are also Toyota Milestone award winners in several non-factory-backed classes.
For more information, contact SCORE at its Los Angeles headquarters 818.225.8402 or visit the official website of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series at www.score-international.com.
