Richard Petty and financial partners take control of RPM

Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR (2009 photo)

Concord, N.C. (November 29, 2010) — Racing legend and all time NASCAR win leader Richard Petty is back in the driver’s seat.

Richard Petty Motorsports signed and closed a sale of its racing assets to an investment group comprised of Richard Petty, Medallion Financial Corp. (Nasdaq:TAXI) and DGB Investments.

Richard Petty, a seven-time NASCAR champion has won 200 races, including 10 Daytona races. Known in the NASCAR world as The King, Petty will serve as chairman and will be actively involved in overseeing day-to-day operations of the company. As previously announced, the team will operate the legendary No. 43 car driven by AJ Allmendinger and the No. 9 car driven by Marcos Ambrose.

“Today is a great day for me, my family, our fans and our wonderful sponsors. Ford, Stanley, Best Buy, Valvoline, Reynolds, Air Force, Super 8, Paralyzed Veterans of America, WIX Filters and Menards have supported me through thick and thin and I thank them from the bottom of my heart,” said Petty.

Andrew Murstein, President of Medallion Financial, commented: “We could not be happier to be able to acquire these assets together. Richard is one of the greatest names, not only in NASCAR, but in all sports. His name and image are a world recognized brand with unlimited potential to grow and expand in racing. Ample working capital has been invested in the company to insure this great team and legend will not only continue to perform, but will thrive and be back in the winner’s circle.”

“George and Foster Gillett deserve a great deal of credit for running a successful race team,” commented Petty. “They made a significant investment into the business and helped get back into Victory Lane. Going forward, we have put together an all-star ownership team consisting of myself, Medallion, and VeriFone CEO Doug Bergeron.”

Medallion Financial, a publicly traded investment company, has invested over $3 billion in companies since its IPO in 1996 and its board members include such notables as former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, former Connecticut Governor and Senator Lowell Weicker, and another King of his sport, Hank Aaron. The Murstein family is the largest shareholder in Medallion, owning approximately 20 percent.

DGB Investments is an investment vehicle of Canadian-born investor Douglas G. Bergeron, CEO of VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYSE: PAY), San Jose, Calif. In 2001, Bergeron and DGB participated in the acquisition of VeriFone Systems from Hewlett-Packard in a transaction valued at $50 million. Today, VeriFone’s market value exceeds $3 billion dollars and Bergeron remains CEO and one of the largest individual shareholders.

Douglas Bergeron commented, “With Richard Petty’s unmatched name and reputation in the motorsports industry, I know this investment is well-timed to succeed. We are going to help put Richard Petty Motorsports back in victory lane.”

Petty concluded, “Our partnership with Andy Murstein and Doug Bergeron will help take us to a whole new level and I could not be more excited about our future.”

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Press Release: Ambrose Makes Move to RPM with Stanley Tools as Sponsor for 2011 Season

Concord, N.C. (August 17, 2010) - In preparation for the 2011 season, Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that driver Marcos Ambrose has signed a multiyear agreement with the organization to drive the No. 9 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Long-time RPM sponsor Stanley Black & Decker will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 team.

"I'm very excited to join Richard Petty Motorsports," said Ambrose.

"It's an incredible honor to be able to race for a legend like The King and be a part of this organization. I'm also happy to be back with Ford Racing. The No. 9 team has been a very successful team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the support of Ford and everyone at RPM, I believe we can continue that tradition of success. I'm also excited to join forces with Stanley."

"We are very happy to have Marcos Ambrose join our team," said NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty. "He's a very talented and passionate driver and will be a great addition to our team."

"We knew once Marcos became available that we wanted him to be a part of the RPM family," said Foster Gillett, managing partner and team owner. "He's a fan favorite and he's proven to be a tough competitor on track. We're thrilled to have Stanley continue their partnership with our team and believe that Marcos is a great fit for the Stanley Racing program."

"Stanley is pleased to partner with Marcos," said Scott Bannell, Vice President Brand Management and Licensing, Stanley Black & Decker. "We look forward to carrying the winning tradition of the No. 9 car into the 2011 season."

The Tasmanian-born driver cut his racing teeth in V8 Supercar competition before making the shift to NASCAR in 2006. Through a partnership with Ford Racing, Ambrose made his American racing debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. In 2007, the driver made the jump to the NASCAR Nationwide Series where he competed for two seasons before his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2009.

"All of us at Ford are very happy to have Marcos back home," said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsport. "We helped Marcos come to America and become a NASCAR driver because we believed in his talent, and loved the way he connected with Ford fans here and in Australia. Already a Ford champion in Supercars, we believe his move to RPM will give him the car and equipment to win races and contend for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup going forward."

Ambrose, 33, is in his second season in NASCAR's premier racing series. He collected a third straight win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in July.


About Stanley Black & Decker
Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access solutions and electronic security solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.

For further information, please contact:
Tiffany Breaux, Richard Petty Motorsports, 704-902-8127 or tbreaux@rpm43.com

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Are you Team Richard or Team Trace? Vote in Goody's and BC's online "Pick A Powder" contest

Humorous collection of short videos showing them in each other’s world will help fans decide: which man has it tougher?

Parsippany, N.J. (June 30, 2010) – Known just as much for their talents as they are for wearing their signature cowboy hats, country music superstar Trace Adkins, and racing legend and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, have begun a humorous “rivalry” of one-upsmanship about who experiences the toughest pain.

BC Powder and Goody’s Headache Powders, the brands Adkins and Petty represent, are going head-to-head in an online contest with their respective spokespeople leading the charge. The BC and Goody’s “Pick A Powder” campaign plays off the fierce and generational loyalty users have to either Goody’s or BC. Both Adkins and Petty will try to get their fans around the country to pick their team to support: Team Richard for Goody’s and Team Trace for BC on www.pickapowder.com.


The man who gets the most fans to join his team will get to see the other “perform” LIVE at the Goody’s 500 in Martinsville, Va., next spring. The campaign also features a charity component with a donation being made to the Wounded Warrior Project on behalf of Adkins and BC, and Victory Junction Camp for seriously ill children on behalf of Petty and Goody’s.

Through the series of spoofs, jabs, challenges and contests, Adkins and Petty boldly take on new experiences in each other’s profession that sometimes work and sometimes don’t. The funny moments have been captured on film and will be posted to www.pickapowder.com. For example, you’ll be able to watch 6-foot-6 Trace get in and try to get out of Richard Petty’s car, and you’ll be able to hear Richard sing Karaoke. Fans of either or both men will be brought into the fold to help decide which brand is the favorite among powders users and which one of the two men truly suffers from the toughest pain.

Starting June 30, fans will be able to go to www.pickapowder.com and choose Team Richard or Team Trace. After fans register with a team they can vote daily. Fans and supporters will be able to participate in various contests and win prizes, including an all expense paid VIP trip for four to The Goody’s 500 at Martinsville Speedway (race tickets, air and hotel) for the Team Richard winner, and an all-expense paid VIP trip for four to a Trace Adkins concert stop (concert tickets, air and hotel) in early 2011 (location TBD) for the Team Trace winner. Winners will be announced in early October.

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