CHRIS ECONOMAKI NAMED AS GRAND MARSHAL FOR MOPAR SPRINT & MIDGET CLASSIC EVENT

Economaki is looking forward to his role as Grand Marshal, as well as watching a new generation of racing stars do battle at Orlando Speedworld Raceway.

‘I am looking forward with great anticipation to serving as Grand Marshal at the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic at Orlando Speedworld on Friday night, December 15,” Economaki said. “The reason for my anticipation is that the extraordinary demands of open-wheel racing – like sprint cars and midgets – are such that graduates of these sectors, like Jeff Gordon, have won championship after championship in racing’s major leagues. Today’s NASCAR headliners, in addition to Gordon, like Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, J.J. Yeley and Jason Leffler have become winners on major circuits.”

Economaki is also quick to point out that to the winner will go the spoils, including the national media attention a victory in the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic would garner.

“Come to Speedworld next Friday night and share the excitement with me and see who earns a front-page headline in National Speed Sport News,” Economaki states.

Economaki will announce the winner of the Economaki Champion of Champions award at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade show at 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 14. This year's winner will be featured in the “National Speed Sport News” annual year-end issue, which will be released on December 20.

Event Information

The second annual Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic will be held at the Orlando Speedworld Raceway on December 14 and 15, in conjunction with the 19th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. The event will feature the stars of the sprint and midget car series, Ford Focus Midget Series, legends cars, and it brings a return of the popular drifting exhibition.

Practice for all racing divisions is scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 14, at 1 p.m. EST. Qualifications will take place at 5:15 p.m. EST, with heat races for the Ford Focus Midgets, midgets and legends cars beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Gates will open to the public on Friday, December 15, at 1 p.m. EST. Practice for all divisions is scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. EST, with the drifting exhibition slated to begin at 7:15 p.m. Opening ceremonies for the second annual Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic are scheduled for 7:40 p.m. EST. The event will be televised on ESPN2 at a later date.

A free shuttle service for all PRI Trade Show attendees and exhibitors will be available to and from the race event, beginning at 5:30 p.m. EST on December 15. Shuttles will return to all PRI Trade Show participant hotels immediately following the conclusion of the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic.

Tickets for the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic are available in the front lobby area of the PRI Trade Show for purchase by attendees and exhibitors. Tickets can also be purchased at the Orlando Speedworld Raceway ticket office by calling (407) 568-1367.

For more information regarding the Mopar Sprint & Midget Classic, log on to www.sprintandmidgetclassic.com.

About DaimlerChrysler’s Mopar Brand

When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts supplier led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Division. In 1937, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was created for the business of distributing parts through a depot system and car divisional wholesalers.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle car era. Beginning in 1962, Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, the Chrysler Group’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to DaimlerChrysler