All-Stars, celebrities at Road Atlanta for New Beetle Cup

BRASELTON, Ga. (Sep. 25, 2000) -- An all-star field of race drivers and celebrities will be at Road Atlanta to compete in the New Beetle Cup exhibition race as part of Petit Le Mans weekend on Saturday, Sept. 30. The race, featuring high-powered Volkswagen New Beetle race cars, will be the first of its kind to be held in the United States.

The New Beetle Cup race, which will run for 30 minutes on the Road Atlanta circuit, will get the green flag at 10:30 a.m. The Petit Le Mans, featuring cars of the American Le Mans Series, starts at 12:30 p.m. and will go for 10 hours or 1,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Drivers for the New Beetle Cup exhibition race will include international racing legends, celebrities and top automotive journalists. The event will benefit The Shepherd Center in Atlanta, the largest catastrophic hospital in the U.S. that specializes in the treatment of people with spinal cord and brain injuries, multiple sclerosis and other neuromuscular or urological disorders.

Among the drivers will be former Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan, along with Hurley Haywood and Brian Redman, two of the world's most accomplished endurance racing drivers. Actor Perry King, star of the 1980's NBC-TV show "Riptide," as well as other movies, TV shows and theatre productions, will also compete in the race.

Scott Goodyear and Scott Sharp, two of the top stars of the Indy Racing League, will go back to their road racing roots from ultra-fast Indy cars for the New Beetle Cup race, while the competitive field will also include former and current road racing stars such as Bill Adam, Jack Baldwin, Price Cobb, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Tommy Kendall and Hans Stuck. Eighteen drivers will be in the race.

The New Beetle Cup Experience, located in the turn 6-7 area of Road Atlanta, will include even more for race fans and car enthusiasts visiting Road Atlanta during the weekend. Visitors will have the opportunity to ride in a New Beetle Cup race car at the autocross area for a $5 donation to The Shepherd Center, and in a racing simulator for a $2 donation.

Atlanta Braves all-star pitcher Kevin Millwood will make a special appearance in the area from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. on race day. The area will also include video games, merchandise and interactive displays.

Petit Le Mans weekend ticket information is available at 1-800-849-RACE, or online at www.roadatlanta.com.