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2. auto racing

PRESS RELEASE R
CH
HARLIE HA
ARMON NA
AMED DIREECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AT
SOUTHW
WESTERN IN
NTERNATIO
ONAL RAC
CEWAY JUPITER, FL – Novemb
ber 19, 2014 – IRG Sports ++ Entertainment™ (IRG), th
he parent co
ompany of Southwestern I nternational Raceway™ (SSWIR), announ
nced today thaat Charlie Harrmon has joinned the Comp
pany as the Diirector of Bussiness Developm
ment at SWIR in Tucson, Arrizona. As a form
mer track operrator and mannager at majo
or motorsporrts facilities accross the counttry, as well ass serving as D ivision Directtor for NHRA’ss West Centraal Division, Harmon bringgs with him ddecades of exxperience in th
he motorsports arena wh
here he will prrimarily focuss on business developmen
nt at SWIR. Harmon rresides in sou
uthern Califorrnia and will b
be working directly with neewly d General Manager of SWIR, Alan Miller. appointed
“I am perssonally very e
excited to wellcome Charlie
e to our team
m. Having know
wn him for ovver 15 years, and having wo
orked with him
m for many years in Memp
phis with the NMCA World
d Finals, I kno
ow Charlie willl do an outstanding job and
d is a great ad
ddition to ourr company,” saaid Jason Ritttenberry, Pressident and CEEO of ment. IRG Sports + Entertainm
Prior to jo
oining the IRG
G and SWIR te
eam, Harmon operated an d managed a number of m
motorsports venues including Indianapolis Racew
way Park, Nattional Trail Raaceway and Kansas City Intternational Raceway. Harmon ccurrently is co
o‐owner of ProMedia LLC, tthe parent coompany of thee NMRA, NM
MCA and NMC
CA West racin
ng series, as w
well as the alll‐Ford publicaation Race Pa ges and Fasteest Street Carr Magazine, w
which encompassses all dome
estic makes, m
models and brrands. wife Shelly, w
with two children, Chaz andd Kaylee. Harmon iss married to w
“I am reallly looking forrward to Charrlie joining ou
ur team,” saidd Alan Miller, General Man
nager at SWIR
R. “Having w
worked directly with him in
n the past through several different cap
pacities, I am confident thaat he is going to
o make an immediate conttribution to SW
WIR and IRG..” Harmon w
will primarily w
work out of the SWIR officces in Tucson,, as well as w
working out off his home in southern California. He will be responsible for all sales and sponsorship revenues, official partnerships at SWIR, as well as business development of track events. “It is very clear that IRG has assembled some of the brightest and most experienced minds in the sport, and I am thrilled to be a part of this movement to improve the sport. This is a great opportunity to have this privilege to be a member of such a formidable team.” Harmon said. “I have been fortunate throughout my career to work with some of the best people in the motorsports industry and I look forward to bringing that experience to the SWIR and IRG teams.” As the first stop on the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series™ (NJDRS) North American Tour, SWIR will host the Southwestern Nationals in March 2015. The Super Chevy Show will also be held at SWIR for the first time in May 2015. About IRG Sports + Entertainment™
IRG Sports + Entertainment™ (IRG) is a leading purveyor of sports and live entertainment experiences and is the privately‐held parent company of International Raceway Group™ (IRG), IRGSE Productions™, and the International Hot Rod Association™ (IHRA). IRG owns and operates Palm Beach International Raceway™ (PBIR), Palm Beach Driving Club® (PBDC), Memphis International Raceway™ (MIR), Southwestern International Raceway™ (SWIR), Cordova International Raceway™ (CIR), and Maryland International RacewaySM (MDIR). Located in Jupiter, Florida, PBIR is the company’s flagship and home to PBDC, a private members‐only club for automotive enthusiasts. The facility features a challenging 2.034‐
mile asphalt Road Course, an exciting 1/4‐mile concrete Drag Strip, a thrilling 8/10‐mile Kart Track, and a 250‐foot‐long Mud Bog. Acquired in January 2011, MIR is a highly acclaimed motorsports facility located in Millington, Tennessee, featuring a formidable 1.8‐mile asphalt Road Course, a riveting 1/4‐mile Drag Strip, and an enthralling 3/4‐mile Tri‐Oval Short Track. Added to the IRG portfolio of brands in August 2013, SWIR is a 110‐acre venue located at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 10 miles from downtown Tucson, Arizona. The track features a dedicated quarter‐mile Drag Strip and first opened in August 1997. CIR is a 190‐acre venue in Cordova, Illinois, featuring a 1/4‐mile Drag Strip. It hosts the popular World Series of Drag Racing and frequent street drags and bracket racing programs. Acquired in November 2014, MDIR is located in the Baltimore/DC metro market and features a world class 1/4‐mile drag strip. It hosts more than 80 events annually, including the World Cup Finals™. Owned and operated since January 2013 by IRG, IHRA is the second‐largest drag racing and fourth‐largest motorsports sanctioning body. The 44‐year‐old organization manages two national touring series, the Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series™ and Sonic Rush Tour™. With headquarters in Norwalk, Ohio, IHRA sanctions more than 110 motorsports facilities in the U.S. and Canada and has more than 12,000 racers of all skill levels as members. IRG’s subsidiaries now promote more than 950 motorsports, live entertainment and corporate events annually at its venues and series. IRG is also affiliated with Miami’s Auto Museum at The Dezer Collection, Palm Beach Grand Prix, Super Chevy Show Series, Fun Ford Series, and Mega Mopar Action Series. ###
CONTACT
Aidy Alonzo Vice President, Marketing & Communications IRG Sports + Entertainment™ 17133 Beeline Highway, Jupiter, FL 33478 561.578.5638 AAlonzo@IRGSE.com www.IRGSE.com @IRGSports