"On behalf of Best Buy's 150,000 employees, we are proud to sponsor the inaugural running of the Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks race,” said Barry Judge, chief marketing officer, Best Buy Co. “Many of our customers love auto racing, so this sponsorship is another way Best Buy is not only supporting the sport they enjoy, but also helping a great charity."
While Best Buy is in its fourth season as a team sponsor, with its iconic yellow tag logo appearing on Elliott Sadler's No. 19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports entry in select 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, this race marks the first time the company has sponsored a NASCAR event.
This event also marks the second year Autism Speaks has partnered with Dover International Speedway. Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
Student Clubs for Autism Speaks (SCAS) helps further the mission of Autism Speaks by creating the opportunity for students to engage and actively participate in positively affecting the lives of people with autism. Through education, awareness, friendship and fundraising, SCAS includes students at the middle school, high school and college level.
Fans can get involved in a variety of ways:
- Grammy-nominated Emerson Drive will perform on Saturday, May 31 at 8 p.m. in the Rollins Center at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. Tickets are on sale now and are priced from $25 to $35. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Autism Speaks and the Autism Society of Delaware. Click here to purchase Emerson Drive concert tickets or call 800-711-5882. Emerson Drive will also perform the National Anthem the following day to kick off the June 1 “Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
- A special one-of-a-kind experience will be auctioned, with all proceeds going directly to Autism Speaks. The prize includes the unique opportunity to give the command to start engines for the June 1 race; the chance to be on stage for driver introductions; an autographed flag signed by the starting lineup of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race; a ride in the pre-race parade lap for two guests; four tickets to watch the race from a skybox suite; four pit passes; a guided tour for four of the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage; and the chance to play golf in the Thursday, May 29 Drive for Autism Celebrity-Am Golf Outing with drivers and other sports celebrities. The auction is available from April 22 until May 11, 2008 at 12 a.m.
Click here to participate in this unique auction and support Autism Speaks. - Dover International Speedway will donate a portion of each June 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ticket sold from May 1 to May 31, 2008 to Autism Speaks. Fans can also donate directly to Autism Speaks via the DoverSpeedway.com website. Click on the box, located on the left of the DoverSpeedway.com homepage, to learn more. Donation locations will also be set up during the entire May 30 – June 1, 2008 race weekend for those fans interested in donating to the cause.
- The NASCAR Foundation will once again host a track walk at Dover International Speedway on Saturday, May 31, 2008, immediately following the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. NASCAR drivers and personalities will participate in this fun event, and proceeds will be given to participating driver charities and the Autism Society of Delaware. Best Buy employees will volunteer their time to support the event. Fans can sign up in advance for the Dover track walk at by clicking on the NASCAR Foundation Track Walk link at DoverSpeedway.com. Fans can also sign up outside of Turn 4, near the entrance to the new Dover FanZone, on race weekend.
- Best Buy Racing driver Elliott Sadler is wearing a special autism helmet at every race throughout the month of April. It will then be auctioned online to benefit the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Charitable Foundation. The helmet sports the multi-colored puzzle piece logo of the Autism Society. On April 30th, Sadler's 32nd birthday, the helmet will be put up for bid on an online auction. The site hosting the auction will be announced by Sadler on the SPEED Channel show, Trackside!, on Friday, April 26.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) operates a global portfolio of brands with a commitment to growth and innovation. Our employees strive to provide customers around the world with superior experiences by responding to their unique needs and aspirations. We sell consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services through approximately 1,200 retail stores across the United States, throughout Canada and in China. Our multi-channel operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com, BestBuy.ca and BestBuy.com.cn), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com and GeekSquad.ca), Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers (PacificSales.com), Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com), Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co. (Five-Star.cn) and Speakeasy (Speakeasy.net). Best Buy supports the communities in which its employees work and live through volunteerism and grants that benefit children and education.
About Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Vice Chairman, General Electric, and served as chairman and chief executive officer of NBC Universal for more than twenty years. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.
About Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate four tracks in three states, and present more than 500 motorsports events each year. This includes 16 major, national events which operate under the auspices of three of the premier sanctioning bodies in the U.S. — NASCAR, NHRA, and IRL. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo., Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tenn., and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn.
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