CARQUEST Racing 2000 Schedule

LAKEWOOD, CO (January 3, 2000) -- CARQUEST Auto Parts will enter the new millennium with an aggressive 2000 Racing Schedule with events coast-to-coast in the United States and Canada. CARQUEST will sponsor events ranging from oval track to drag racing and auto shows.

Headlining the 2000 CARQUEST Racing schedule will be two NASCAR Busch Grand National events. One of the largest Busch Grand National events of the season, the CARQUEST 300 is scheduled for May 27 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. It will take place in conjunction with the NASCAR Winston Cup Coca-Cola 600. The CARQUEST 300 will be televised Live by the TBS Network.

CARQUEST's second NASCAR Busch Grand National event will take place July 29 at Gateway Int'l Raceway, just outside St. Louis, MO. The CARQUEST 250 will feature the Busch Grand National stars competing under-the-lights Live on The Nashville Network (TNN).

CARQUEST will also back several NASCAR Tour Series events. Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford, CT will be home to two NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series events, the CARQUEST Spring Sizzler (April 29, 30) and the CARQUEST 300 (Sept. 23, 24), the Featherlite Series' longest event of the season. Stafford Motor Speedway will also host the CARQUEST 150 (June 30), a NASCAR North Series event.

CARQUEST will sponsor six DIRT Modified event in 2000, highlighted by the CARQUEST Eastern States Weekend, Oct. 20-22 at Middletown (NY) Speedway. The event will be televised by Empire Sports and syndicated to Fox Sports cable stations.

CARQUEST will sponsor one World of Outlaws event, May 29, at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, NY.

North of the border, CARQUEST will continue to be the official auto parts store of Canada's largest motorsports sanctioning body, CASCAR. CARQUEST will sponsor one of Canada's largest and most prestigious motorsports event, the CARQUEST 500, Labor Day Weekend, in Delaware, Ontario. CARQUEST will also sponsor a CASCAR Eastern Series event, the CARQUEST 200, Sept. 9 and 10 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. CTV Sportsnet will televise both events.

Along with individual oval track events, CARQUEST will be series sponsor in 2000 of the CARQUEST ARDC Midget Series in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic United States, the CARQUEST Late Model Series in the Southwest United States, the CARQUEST CASCAR Sportsman Series in Quebec, Canada, and the CARQUEST MASCAR Tour, which sanctions events in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, Canada.

CARQUEST will also continue its backing of the highly successful CARQUEST Cage Cam during USAC Thunder Events on ESPN2.

CARQUEST will continue its successful support of drag racing in 2000. CARQUEST will sponsor three International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Drag Racing events, the CARQUEST Empire Nationals near Rochester, NY (July 14-16), the CARQUEST Northern Nationals in Stanton, MI (Aug. 4-6), and the CARQUEST Autumn Nationals in Rockingham, NC (Sept. 21-23). All IHRA events will be televised by TNN.

Competing for CARQUEST in 2000, two-time IHRA Top Fuel Champion Paul Romine will drive his 320 mph CARQUEST Top Fuel dragster at all IHRA National Events, along with attending ten NHRA National Events. Pro Outlaw driver Scott Ray will compete at all IHRA National Events with his 700 cubic inch, nitrous assisted 220 mph dragster. Romine's competition will be televised on TNN, ESPN2 and Speedvision / Fox Sports cable stations. Ray's races can been seen on TNN's Horsepower TV.

The successful CARQUEST World of Wheels car shows will continue in 2000. Events will take place in Phoenix (Jan. 7-9), Pittsburgh (Jan. 21-23), Indianapolis (Feb. 4-6), Chicago (Feb. 4-6), St. Paul, MN (Feb. 11-13), Kansas City (Feb. 18-20), and Des Moines (March 31- April 2). CARQUEST will also support the CARQUEST AutoRama in Cleveland (Jan. 21-23) and the CARQUEST Motorsports Expo in Syracuse, NY (March 10-12).

CARQUEST concludes the 2000 racing season with the CARQUEST Monster Truck Thunder Drags, Nov. 18 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. It will be televised on TNN Monster Madness.

Along with the events listed, CARQUEST will support many regional events. For additional information and changes concerning the 2000 CARQUEST Racing season, please go to our web site at www.CARQUEST.com/motorsports.htm

CARQUEST Corporation began 26 years ago with 100 auto parts stores. Today there are almost 4,000 CARQUEST Auto Parts stores across North America. CARQUEST supplies the professional automotive service repair industry as well as do-it-yourselfers with replacement parts, tools and equipment. CARQUEST is committed to providing auto parts and services of the highest quality and greatest value to help people repair their cars. For the location of the CARQUEST Auto Parts store nearest you call 1-800-492-PART or visit WWW.CARQUEST.COM.