Dale Earnhardt Inc. Lands Steak-umm as Sponsor

Primary sponsor on No. 01 and No. 8 car at select races; full-year associate on No. 8

Mooresville, N.C. (Jan. 18, 2008) – Dale Earnhardt Inc. announced today that they have secured Steak-umm Company LLC as a primary sponsor on the No. 8 and No. 01 Chevrolets for select races during the 2008 season, including the May Richmond Sprint Cup race with Regan Smith and the June Pocono Sprint Cup race with Mark Martin.  Steak-umm will also serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 8 car for the full 2008 season.

“Steak-umm is a good fit as a sponsor. Their products match the fast-paced lifestyle of our drivers as well as our fans, and they have a well-known brand that will be instantly identifiable on our cars,” said Max Siegel, Dale Earnhardt Inc. President of Global Operations. “Corporate partners are essential to our business, and Steak-umm is a strong addition to our lineup.”

Steak-umm’s entry into the NASCAR sponsorship arena coincides with the company's introduction of Steak-umm Burgers, a new line of frozen burgers available in Original, Sweet Onion and Real Cheese varieties.  It is also part of a broad new Steak-umm marketing initiative that began last year with national TV ads for the company's thinly sliced, portion-controlled frozen sandwich steaks.  The Steak-umm brand has been a fixture in supermarket freezer departments for over four decades.

“This sponsorship will give us high visibility to a large number of consumers who follow the NASCAR circuit in general and the Dale Earnhardt franchise in particular,” said Sergei Szortyka, President of Steak-umm Company.  “Having our logo on these cars will reinforce our brand to people who already know us as well as exposing a whole new group of consumers to the Steak-umm name.” 

Leverage Sports of Charlotte, N.C., is the agency of record for Steak-umm.  Leverage negotiated the sponsorship terms and is responsible for marketing activation and management, which will include an actual 2008 Chevrolet Impala SS show car with a customized grill in the trunk for grilling Steak-umm products.

Dale Earnhardt Inc., based in Mooresville, N.C., employs over 450 people on its two state-of-the-art campuses. Dale Earnhardt Inc. is comprised of a NASCAR Busch Series team and four Nextel Cup teams, featuring drivers Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith, Mark Martin and Aric Almirola. The organization has amassed over 100 wins and has won six NASCAR Championships as well as three Daytona 500s.

Steak-umm Company is a maker of frozen convenience foods including Steak-umm Sandwich Steaks, the best-known sandwich steak brand in the country, and Steak-umm Burgers, a line of ready-to-cook beef patties that go from freezer to table in as little as 12 minutes. Steak-umm is virtually synonymous with sandwich steaks and has played a key role in turning the regional Philly Cheese Steak sandwich into standard fare on American dinner tables.

Leverage Sports is a full service motorsports marketing agency with office locations in Charlotte and Phoenix.  Regarded as the leader in NASCAR motorsports marketing and sponsorship, Leverage Sports recently created a media entertainment division that maximizes corporate sponsorship through the cross-pollination of marketing and media assets. Leverage Sports is redefining how sponsorships are activated and valued. www.LevSports.com