Kashe Kahne Racing Charlotte special paint scheme

BUDWEISER EXTENDING REACH OF 'PROUD TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE' CAMPAIGN WITH KASEY KAHNE RACING

Team's No. 9 to Feature Special Paint Scheme in World of Outlaws Sprint Car Action

ST. LOUIS (May 26, 2010) -- Kasey Kahne is set to debut the No. 9 Budweiser Armed Forces Ford in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Memorial Day weekend, and Budweiser's "Proud to Serve Those Who Serve" campaign is also extending to Kasey Kahne Racing with a special No. 9 Budweiser Armed Forces paint scheme piloted by Joey Saldana in World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series action at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Last month at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, Budweiser announced its partnership with the USO to honor the men and women of America's Armed Forces through the "Proud to Serve Those Who Serve" program. Kahne joined representatives from Budweiser and the USO to unveil the special Armed Forces paint scheme that will run at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30 and at Daytona International Speedway on July 3.

As part of the program, Budweiser and its wholesalers will donate $250,000 throughout the months of May and June to the USO's Operation Enduring Care program, which was created to meet the recovery needs of wounded service members and their families. The donation will help fund the development of two wounded warrior centers at Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Fort Belvoir, Va.

In addition to the on-track efforts of the No. 9 Ford, Budweiser will also utilize Kahne's own short-track racing team and Saldana to promote the program at a grassroots level through the World of Outlaws series starting on Friday, May 28, at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The team will continue to run the scheme through July at tracks across the Midwest.

"Joey Saldana and Kasey Kahne Racing have been great ambassadors for us in the World of Outlaws series," said Brad Brown, senior director, sports marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "We're proud to have that continue with the Budweiser's 'Proud to Serve Those Who Serve' campaign. The team is excited to help us honor the men and women of our nation's Armed Forces throughout the summer at local tracks across America."

In three seasons at the wheel of the No. 9 Budweiser Sprint Car, Saldana has claimed 29 wins, including four so far in 2010. He is also the defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Showdown winner at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

"We don't often have special paint schemes with our World of Outlaws program, so it will be cool to see Joey and the guys running the Armed Forces sprint car that looks just like my car on the Cup side," said Kahne. "It's great that Budweiser is promoting the Armed Forces program with the USO through our short-track team as well. We're proud to honor the soldiers that protect our country on Memorial Day weekend and help raise awareness of the USO's Operation Enduring Care."

-source: budweiser