Race Central TV Becomes New American Home of V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series

Starting tonight, Denver-based Race Central brings exciting Australian racing action to motorsports fans across America

DENVER, Colo., June 5, 2008 – Race Central, one of the Nations premier Television and Radio homes for local, national and international motorsports coverage, today announced it has been named the U.S. provider of coverage of the V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series (Aussie V8), an exciting racing series based in Australia. The Aussie V8 series is a groundbreaking addition to Race Central’s lineup of TV, and radio productions that bring the greatest names in motorsports to fans throughout the U.S.

After a significant absence from American television, Aussie V8 Supercar racing action can be seen on national network TV beginning this Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Race Central TV via the Altitude Sports & Entertainment network. Race Central TV will air the premiere show of the Aussie V8 series Thursday Night, June 5, at 5:30 pm MDT and 9:30 pm MDT; On Friday, June 6 at 10:00 am MDT and again at 4:30 pm MDT; Saturdays after NASCAR Hooters Pro Cup Racing at 2 pm MDT and on the Rocky Mountain Regional Network at 5 pm MDT.

Race Central TV will air all of the remaining 2008 Aussie V8 Supercar events as part of its agreement with what many consider to be the premiere sports car series in the world. Race Central TV will also produce special one-hour Aussie V8 Supercar events monthly.

This announcement comes on the heels of the addition of several new partners to the Race Central family, including IntelliTec College, Bimmer Haus Performance.,and Sun Honda / Harley-Davidson / Kawasaki.

“The V8 Supercars Australia Championship Series is one of the fastest-growing forms of motorsports on the planet,” said Kurt Hansen, host of Race Central and president of Motorsports Media Group, Inc.  “All over the world, the Aussie V8 series has a massive fan base that follows the series on TV, the Web, etc. The Aussie V8 Supercars series offers incredible side by side racing, and will provide unique and powerful marketing opportunities for all of our partners.  We’re thrilled to be working with them and all of our sponsors as we bring Aussie V8 coverage back to American fans of sports car racing.”

Race fans can catch Aussie V8 Supercars action on Race Central TV on Altitude Sports & Entertainment Network and  its affiliates nationwide.  Check local listings for additional time and channel information, or visit www.racecentralmedia.com. 

About Race Central

Race Central TV, Race Central Radio and Race Central Webcast are the productions of Motorsports Media Group, Inc.  Founded by former driver and current motorsports insider Kurt Hansen, Race Central brings the greatest names in motorsports to race fans throughout America via multiple platforms: TV, radio and webcasts.  Race Central reaches millions of American homes, and enables its many sponsors and partners to reach their target audiences with marketing horsepower.  Race Central is presented weekly by STP Concrete, Checkpoint Racing, Flatirons Tuning, Sun Honda / Harley-Davidson / Kawasaki, Colorado National Speedway, Bimmer Haus Performance and IntelliTec College.  For more information, visit www.racecentralmedia.com. 

V8 Supercars is proudly Australian made but fast becoming a leading world export. International expansion is already occurring as the sport becomes globally recognised as the best touring car racing in the world.

V8 Supercars is easily the largest motorsport category in this country. There are only two domestic markets where Formula One is not the most popular form of Motorsport. These are Australia with V8 Supercars and the United States with NASCAR.

The Australian Bureau of statistics has proved V8 Supercars are the third most attended sport in the country only behind horse racing and AFL. More than 12 million people watched V8 Supercars on television in st1:country-region w:st="on"> Australia last year.

More than 1.65 million people attended a V8 Supercar event in 2006 compared to 900,000 in 1997. Races are broadcast to 850 million people worldwide in 130 countries. It now races in the Gulf in t1:place w:st="on">Bahrain at the Desert 400 with other countries waiting for an event.

On average more than 100,000 people attended each of the 13 events in 2006. The Clipsal 500 in t1:city w:st="on">Adelaide i in 2006 attracted a record 270,300 spectators while more than 193,000 people made the pilgrimage to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Racing is shown live on Seven on Saturdays and Sundays with a dedicated motorsport show every weekend when an event is not taking place. Seven paid a world record broadcast rights fee for a motorsport category outside of Formula One and NASCAR.

In 2008 V8 Supercars will produce its own television for the Seven Network with the newly formed V8 Supercar Television. This is a first for Australian sport and a pioneer of television in this country.

The myth that motorsport is a blue collar affair has also been disproven by AC Nielsen. Around 20 per cent of those who attend V8 Supercar events earn more than $80,000 per annum and more than a half earn more than $60,000 per annum.

The female and youth audiences are the fastest growing demographic in both attendance and television ratings. V8 Supercars (Playstation/XBox) is the highest selling driving console game in Australia.

In 2008 14 rounds constitute the V8 Supercar Championship Series with events in every state and the Northern Territory. There are 31 cars and 17 teams. Each team employs up to 60 fulltime staff while more than 1000 people are directly employed by the industry.

V8 Supercars Australia takes Australian motorsport the greatest distance in history when the entire category moves more than 12,000 kilometres to Bahrain each year for the ‘Desert 400’.

In 2008 the Championship added a street race in Hamilton, New Zealand, to the calendar, joining the incredibly successful street events in Adelaide and on the Gold Coast.

The Championship holds the biggest single event of every year in Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania and the NoNorthern Territory

A V8 Supercar is valued between $400,000 and $600,000. They have a top speed of 298km per hour (engines are limited to 7500 RPM) and can reach 0-100km per hour in 3.8 seconds.

They have a 5.0 litre fuel injected V8 engine with estimated power 620 + BHP limited to maximum 7,500 RPM. Most importantly they are fast, flashy and fun.

V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES – FAST FACTS:p>

·         Two manufacturers – Ford and Holden

·         Uniquely and proudly Australian made

·         The largest Motorsport category in Australia

·         More than 1.65 million people attended V8 Supercar events in 2007 compared to 900,000 in 1997

·         Each event is televised to 850 million people in 130 countries

·         The Seven Network televise every event live on Saturdays and Sundays

·         22 million people watched V8 Supercars on television in 2007

·         V8 Supercars produces its own television for the Seven Network

·         V8 Supercars Australia promotes three events each year at Bathurst, Tasmania and Phillip Island

·         On average more than 100,000 people attended each of the 14 events in 2007

·         The Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in 2007 attracted a record 276,900 spectators

·         180,121 people made the pilgrimage to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in 2007

·         Bathurst has won three Logies for best television sporting coverage

·         V8 Supercars (Playstation/XBox) is the highest selling driving game in Australia

·         The largest automotive website in Australia and prolific winner of the ‘Hitwise’ Award

·         V8 Supercars race in China (2005) and Bahrain (2006-2010) with Australia’s largest sporting airlift

·         The sport also races in New Zealand where it is considered second only to rugby union

·         20 per cent of those who attend V8 Supercar events earn more than $80,000 per annum

·         More than a half earn more than $60,000 per annum

·         There is an even split between blue and white collar fans

·         Recognised as the world’s best touring car category

·         More popular than Formula One in Australia – only two markets in the world show this (the other being NASCAR in the United States)

·         14 rounds constitute the 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series with races in every state and the Northern Territory

·         31 cars and 18 teams compete in the Championship

·         Each team employs up to 60 fulltime staff

·         More than 1000 people are directly employed by the industry

·         The economic impact of the industry in Queensland alone is $72.6 million and 625 fulltime jobs outside of the two Queensland events

·         Top speed of 298km per hour (engines are limited to 7500 RPM)

·         0-100km per hour in 3.8 seconds

·         A V8 Supercar is valued between $400,000 and $600,000

·         5.0 litre fuel injected V8 engine

·         Estimated Power 620 + BHP limited to maximum 7,500 RPM

·         Vehicle Weight of 1355kg (category minimum)

·         Major platform sponsors are XXXX Gold and BigPond