Wednesday, May 23, 2007

NCATS: CanWest MediaWorks Announces Sponsorship of Canadian NASCAR Driver Pierre Bourque


TORONTO, ON - As the 2007 Canadian racing season gets underway, CanWest MediaWorks Inc. is pleased to announce its proud support of Canadian NASCAR driver Pierre Bourque.

driving.ca, Canada's premier automotive online destination, along with CanWest online brands canada.com, working.com and Dose.ca, are the primary sponsors for the #29 Dodge Charger race car driven by Pierre Bourque.

Bourque will begin his Canadian racing season competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, part of the Father's Day Doubleheader Weekend race at Mosport International Raceway, June 15-17.

"As we kick off what will likely be the most exciting racing season in Canadian history, I am thrilled to have CanWest onboard as a member of our racing team and I'm thankful for their ongoing support," said Bourque. "I'm pleased to be able to tap into and contribute to the power of the CanWest network right across Canada."

With a rapidly growing NASCAR fan base throughout the country, and in the wake of the newly established NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Pierre Bourque is quickly becoming one of Canada's most recognizable faces in motorsports.

The Ottawa-native will compete in the first NASCAR Canadian Tire Championships and is the only Canadian full-time racer in this season's NASCAR Busch East Series. According to a study completed by IPSOS in 2004, one quarter of Canadians were NASCAR fans. The report showed NASCAR maintained a strong and positive brand image amongst Canadians.

"As the Canadian racing scene gears up for action, Pierre Bourque is driving right in to the hearts of Canadian race car fans," said Laura Pearce, General Manager, driving.ca. "driving.ca and CanWest, including our online brands and affiliated newspapers, are excited to be a part of Bourque's racing team for the 2007 season and to help bring the Canadian racing story to fans across the country."

In the cross-promotional sponsorship, Bourque's racing suit and car will don the driving.ca, canada.com, working.com, and Dose.ca logos. In addition, driving.ca is pleased to have Bourque as a guest writer on driving.ca's Motorsport site, and providing articles and content in CanWest's newspapers as he reports on his races throughout the season.

This year, in addition to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Championships, Pierre will compete in NASCAR Busch, NASCAR Busch East, and the Rolex Grand-Am Cup. Bourque successfully completed the full NASCAR Busch East series in 2006 and competed in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in January this year, finishing 12th in the GT class and winning the Sun Trust Hard Charger Award for most passes in the race.

To mark the start of the 2007 racing season, driving.ca, Pierre Bourque and Mosport International Raceway, Canada s Home of Motorsports, have teamed up with The Racetrack Trivia Contest to offer racing fans a chance to win a VIP Racing Weekend for Two at Mosport.

One Grand Prize Winner will receive a prize package that includes:

Ø Meet and Greet with NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver Pierre Bourque

Ø Two weekend passes to the Father's Day Weekend races at Mosport, including two passes to the Grand Prix Club Trackside VIP Hospitality area on Sunday, June 17 overlooking Corner One and the Start/Finish Straight for the day's events, including the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race.

Ø A ride in the Pace Car for Winner and GuestØ Insiders Tour of the Paddock & Pits

Ø Accommodations

Ø driving.ca and Mosport merchandise.

Interested participants can enter to win at www.driving.ca/racetracktrivia. The prize package is valued at $2,850. Contestants must be Ontario residents and 18 years of age or older at time of entry.

Check out www.driving.ca/motorsport throughout the season for reports and updates from Pierre Bourque on his races. For more information, visit www.driving.ca and http://www.mosport.comcom.

By Tammy Bender / CanWest MediaWorks

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