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CONCORD, N.C., (Jan. 24, 2007) - Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced today that Carino's Italian Grill will sponsor ARCA standout Brad Coleman and the No. 18 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series for at least 10 of the rookie's 17 races in 2007. In a press conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Concord during the NASCAR NEXTEL Media Tour, team owner J.D. Gibbs, Coleman and Carino's Italian Grill owners Creed Ford and Norman Abdallah unveiled the partnership.
"We're very happy to have Carino's sponsoring Brad Coleman and the No. 18 team," said Gibbs. "We've put a lot of emphasis on our Busch program to help develop young drivers like Brad, but we couldn't do it without the support of Carino's Italian Grill. They're a great partner for our race team."
Coleman, an 18-year-old Houston native, earned the highest average finishing position (third) in ARCA last year after notching eight top-fives in nine ARCA starts, which included his first major stock car win at Kentucky Speedway when he held off eight-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel through two green-white-checkered restarts. He also made two Busch Series starts, the first of which came at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway a week after graduating high school.
Prior to ARCA, Coleman competed in late model stock cars and was the 2005 rookie points champion in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C. He also spent time in Formula Mazda, the NASA Fran-Am 1600 Series and the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, where in 2005 at age 16 he was part of the youngest driver lineup in series history when he ran the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona (Fla.) in a Porsche 911 GT3, finishing seventh in his class.
"I am bringing a diversified and focused cross-training effort to the NASCAR Busch Series," said Coleman. "My stock car experience at many different short tracks and speedways coupled with my open-wheel racing and sports car background at most every major road course in North America has prepared me well for this opportunity. Being able to combine those experiences with the leadership and expertise brought by Joe Gibbs Racing gives me even more confidence as I take another step in my racing career. Their personnel and equipment are second to none and I am looking forward to working with them. And all of us are looking forward to eating at Carino's Italian Grill. Their food is awesome."
Carino's Italian Grill has 200 locations across the United States and serves a unique combination of classic Italian dishes and specialties off the grill. The open grill atmosphere engages diners and allows them to see their fresh dishes being prepared right before their eyes. In addition to the traditional lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs, Carino's offers a different twist in grilled items such as Cedar Plank Salmon and Prosciutto Wrapped Filet Mignon and fun appetizers such as Italian Dynamite Sticks and Nachos.
"Carino's Italian Grill is excited to begin our partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing and Brad Coleman," said Abdallah, chief executive officer, Carino's Italian Grill. "We believe that everyone at JGR - from team management to the drivers to the crew - falls right in line with our core values, so our relationship is a natural fit. Our driver is a class-act. Off the track, he puts others first. On the track, he's a star in the making. He is going places and we want to go there with him."
JGR has scored over 50 NASCAR victories and earned three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championships since competing in its first race - the 1992 Daytona 500. Just last year, JGR's Busch Series teams earned two wins and nine poles.
Coleman will look to add to those totals when he makes his first start in the No. 18 Carino's Italian Grill Chevrolet March 4 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in Mexico City, where JGR is the defending race winner via Denny Hamlin's victory in last year's inaugural event.
Coleman's 16 remaining races are: Las Vegas (March 10); Nashville (April 7); Texas (April 14); Talladega (April 28); Richmond (May 4); Kentucky (June 16); Milwaukee (June 23); Gateway (July 21); Indianapolis (July 28); Montreal (Aug. 4); Watkins Glen (Aug. 11); Michigan (Aug. 18); Bristol (Aug. 24); Dover (Sept. 22); Memphis (Oct. 27) and Phoenix (Nov. 10).
For more information about Joe Gibbs Racing, log on to www.joegibbsracing.com. For more information about Coleman or Carino's Italian Grill, log on to www.bradcoleman.us or www.carinos.com.