AFFLICTION Entertainment first Mixed martial arts organizationto partner with MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING
–Affliction Entertainment and Michael Waltrip Racing To Unveil Signature”Day of Reckoning” Wrapped #00 Toyota with driver Mike Skinner at Auto Club Speedway–
San Bernardino County, Calif. – Affliction Entertainment and Michael Waltrip Racing have teamed up to race for the checkered flag in the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California. This year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the two-mile D-shaped oval will find Waltrip’s double zero (00) entry, driven by veteran driver Mike Skinner, fully wrapped in Affliction Entertainment’s “Day of Reckoning” graphics promoting the upcoming Oct. 11 MMA Pay-Per-View event from Las Vegas. The 250-lap event will start at 5 p.m. Pacific on Sunday, Aug. 31 from Auto Club Speedway in San Bernardino County, Calif. and will be shown on ABC TV via ESPN-ABC Sports.
“Affliction is proud to make racing history as the first MMA organization to sponsor a car in NASCAR,” said Tom Atencio, vice president of Affliction Entertainment. “NASCAR fans are huge supporters of MMA and this is a great collaboration for both sports.”
“It’s great to have Affliction Entertainment as a Michael Waltrip Racing partner,” said Michael Waltrip, driver of the #55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota and founder of Michael Waltrip Racing. “Our partnership with Affliction and MMA allows us to connect with millions of fans in a unique way.”
In addition to Affliction’s sponsorship of the Michael Waltrip Racing #00 entry, the company will work with Auto Club Speedway to promote “Day of Reckoning” to the multitude of fans who attend the events planned at the world-famous speedway this Labor Day weekend. Utilizing the venue’s multiple promotional opportunities, Affliction and Auto Club Speedway have packaged an entertaining mixture of promotional opportunities to make the fans aware of Affliction’s upcoming event.
“We’re bringing together the excitement of NASCAR racing at Auto Club Speedway and the full contact action of Affliction Entertainment MMA Events,” said Gillian Zucker, president of Auto Club Speedway. “We’re thrilled to host the debut of Affliction in motorsports.”
Roy Englebrecht Events, Donald J. Trump and Affliction Entertainment in association with Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino present Affliction “Day of Reckoning” featuring the WAMMA heavyweight elimination match between Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Tickets are available online at www.unlvtickets.com or by calling 702.739.FANS. Ticket prices range from $75 to $500. Arlovski vs. Barnett is available live on cable and satellite Pay-Per-View and closed circuit television.
About Affliction:
Already a mainstay for the most elite athletes, heaviest bands, A-listers and the fashion conscious, Affliction Clothing’s ability to set the bar high in fashion is evident in its collection’s indulgence of style and design, focus on quality, and its trademark series of divinely executed, dark and powerful themes. www.afflictionclothing.com.
About Roy Englebrecht Events:Roy Englebrecht is owner of Roy Englebrecht Events California’s third largest fight promotions company, which includes world champion Oscar De La Hoya as a minority partner. Oscar De La Hoya purchased Roy Englebrecht’s promotions company in December of 2001 and Golden Boy Promotions was formed. In a restructuring of Golden Boy Promotions at the end of 2004, Roy Englebrecht Events was again reestablished, and promotes and owns all non-televised boxing shows that were previously promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
About WAMMA:
WAMMA is a multifaceted fighter and fan forward organization dedicated to leading the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to unprecedented levels of integrity, legitimacy and prosperity. With the help of forward-looking MMA promotions, WAMMA has created an environment where fighters from all organizations have the opportunity to openly compete to be the one true, undisputed champion in their respective weight classes based on WAMMA’s objective MMA Rankings. WAMMA’s newly created Fighter Advisory Board, co-chaired by MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture and world-renowned trainer and five-time UFC champion Pat Miletich, will offer a unique resource for fighters.
About Auto Club Speedway:
Don’t miss out on Labor Day’s biggest party, the Pepsi 500 on Sunday, August 31, 2008. See the biggest stars of NASCAR including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, and Juan Pablo Montoya as they reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. NASCAR racing is a full day of excitement and entertainment that includes sponsor displays, live musical entertainment, great food and fun for the whole family. Enjoy the Speedway’s fan amenities, including new escalators, shade structures and misting zones, souvenir shopping and Apex by Wolfgang Puck. To purchase tickets for the Pepsi 500 weekend call 800-944-RACE, or visit www.autoclubspeedway.com for more information.About Michael Waltrip Racing:
Over a decade ago, Michael Waltrip established a modest family-owned NASCAR Nationwide Series team in Sherrills Ford, N.C., called Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). In 2007 when TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) entered competition in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, Waltrip developed a strong partnership with Toyota to field three full-time Toyota Camrys at the pinnacle of the sport while maintaining the integrity of his championship caliber Nationwide team. In the midst of building three NASCAR Sprint Cup teams from the ground floor, Waltrip commenced the construction of a 140,000 sq. ft shop in which all four teams are housed today.