Hendrick drivers to attend prerace Chevy FanFest in Richmond

DETROIT (Sept. 3, 2008) – Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears each will make an appearance during Saturday's prerace festivities at the sixth annual Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The Hendrick Motorsports teammates are four of nine Chevrolet drivers scheduled to stop by the Chevy FanFest, located in the sponsor display area outside the track, for a question-and-answer session with former MTV host Riki Rachtman. Johnson will stop by at 3:30 p.m. and will be followed by Gordon at 3:45 p.m. Mears will be there at 4:30 p.m., and will be followed by Earnhardt at 4:45 p.m. The band Three Days Grace also will perform prior to the drop of the green flag, and a rock 'n' roll-theme Impala SS will be used to pace the NASCAR traffic under the lights. “Chevrolet is proud to be back as the title sponsor of the Rock & Roll 400. Chevy has deep ties to music with hundreds of songs containing references to Chevy. We look forward to using our love of music and our lineup of rock star Team Chevy drivers to deliver excitement in Richmond,” said Ed Peper, GM North American vice president of Chevrolet. “Chevy is pulling out all of the stops for an exciting, fan-friendly, interactive experience for the whole family.” Peper added, “Of course, filling the race leader board with Chevys would be the perfect ending to a Chevy rock 'n' roll weekend.” Three Days Grace will kick off the pre-race activities on Saturday with a live performance on the Richmond International front-stretch near the start/finish line. Three Days Grace originated in 1997, in Ontario, Canada, and debuted its self-titled album in 2003. The band’s hit single “I Hate Everything About You” garnered the No. 2 spot on Billboard’s Top Modern Tracks. Craig Monahan, a retired New York City firefighter, will serve as Grand Marshal for the 6th annual Chevy Rock and Roll 400. Monahan was a first responder during the 9-11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He will spend the weekend as a Chevy VIP guest where he will be honored for his heroic contributions. “When Chevy extended this opportunity to me to be Grand Marshal for the race, I was elated. To get a behind the scenes look at America’s fastest growing sport and have such an important duty at the race is exciting and a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Monahan said. “I don’t consider myself heroic. It was my day off, I heard the news, jumped in my Silverado, and headed from Staten Island to the scene. It is in my nature, on or off duty, working or retired, to help those in need.” Chevy also will host another special guest, Justin Franklin, the Chevy Rock & Roll online sweepstakes ‘Rock your Garage’ winner. Franklin is traveling from his home state of Iowa to meet Johnson and Earnhardt. The drivers will be congratulating him on winning the grand prize of a new Silverado truck. Franklin also will receive a $5,000 Lowe’s gift card, a $1,000 Adidas gift card, a new refrigerator stocked with AMP Energy beverages, a VIP race weekend experience which includes a behind-the-scenes tour at Richmond International Raceway, and VIP passes to the Three Days Grace concert and suite tickets to watch both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races. Throughout the weekend a variety of fun, family-friendly activities will take place at Chevy FanFest, which is free to the public and runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The event will offer musical entertainment by the Jolie Holliday Band, Chevy driver appearances and photo opportunities with the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 trophy. Fans also are invited to get a front row view of the Three Days Grace concert at the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. Race ticket holders are invited to visit Chevy FanFest and take the Chevy Challenge. Race fans who participate in the Chevy Challenge on Saturday will receive two free passes to watch the Three Days Grace performance from the front-stretch. For more ticket or race information, visit www.rir.com. For more information on Team Chevy Racing, visit www.chevrolet/teamchevy.