Rahal Letterman Racing and Walt Disney Pictures Announce 'HERBIE' Promotion

Rahal Letterman Racing and Walt Disney Pictures Announce 'HERBIE' Promotion

HILLIARD, Ohio, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Rahal Letterman Racing, a leading open-wheel racing team in North America, and Walt Disney Pictures, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, announced today a promotion for the upcoming movie HERBIE: FULLY LOADED by working with 2005 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick.

The cornerstone of the promotion will see the logo of HERBIE: FULLY LOADED on Rahal Letterman Racing's No. 16 Argent Mortgage/Pioneer Honda/Panoz/Firestone entry of Danica Patrick the upcoming IRL IndyCar Series races at Texas Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.

Patrick will also attend the upcoming June 19th world premiere of HERBIE: FULLY LOADED at the historic El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.

"We are pleased to join in this unique promotion for Walt Disney Pictures' HERBIE: FULLY LOADED," said Bobby Rahal, who co-owns Rahal Letterman Racing. "This program is an example of the non-traditional marketing opportunities that can occur with Rahal Letterman Racing in IndyCar."

Oren Aviv, President of Buena Vista Pictures Marketing, adds, "We are thrilled to partner with the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick and her Rahal Letterman Racing Team. In the crowded summer marketplace, we are always looking for opportunities to set our films apart from the rest. Just as Ms. Patrick has recently taken the racing world by storm, we know our own Herbie will be turning heads when he races into theatres on June 22."

About HERBIE: FULLY LOADED

Start your engines! Herbie, the most beloved car star of them all, is back and red-hot movie star Lindsay Lohan's got him in Disney's all new revved-up comedy adventure, HERBIE: FULLY LOADED. Lohan stars as Maggie Peyton, the new owner of Number 53 -- the freewheelin' car with a mind of its own -- who puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor. Herbie's got some new tricks under his hood as he takes audiences for an action-packed spin in this high-speed comedy. With an all-star cast along for a wild ride, this comedy puts Herbie to the test -- on-road, off-road, on the track and into the record books. The film also stars Justin Long, Breckin Meyer with Matt Dillon and Michael Keaton.

Walt Disney Pictures' HERBIE: FULLY LOADED opens nationwide on Wednesday, June 22. The film is rated "G."

About The Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Studios is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and distributes motion pictures under Walt Disney Pictures -- which includes Walt Disney Feature Animation and DisneyToon Studios -- Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax Films and Dimension Films. Buena Vista International serves as the studio's international distribution arm. Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Buena Vista Home Entertainment International together distribute Disney and other film titles to the rental and sell-through home entertainment markets worldwide. Buena Vista Theatrical Productions is one of the largest producers of Broadway musicals, and the Buena Vista Music Group distributes original music and motion picture soundtracks under its four record labels: Walt Disney Records, Buena Vista Records, Hollywood Records and Lyric Street Records.

About The Rahal Letterman Racing Team

Rahal Letterman Racing, based in Hilliard, Ohio and co-owned by three-time IndyCar Champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and CBS LATE SHOW host David Letterman, has been a leading open-wheel racing operation for more than a decade compiling 19 victories, 26 poles and one series championship (Bobby Rahal in 1992 in CART) and an Indianapolis 500 championship (Rice in 2004). In 2005 Rahal Letterman Racing campaigns three cars in the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series. Buddy Rice and rookie Danica Patrick pilot Honda powered Panoz cars sponsored by Argent Mortgage Company and Pioneer Electronics. Vitor Meira of Brazil pilots a Honda/Panoz sponsored by Menards and Johns Manville.

CONTACTS:

Brent Maurer Dora Candelaria (Los Angeles) Rahal Letterman Racing Buena Vista Pictures Publicity Director of Public Relations Senior Publicist (614) 529-7000, ext 104 818/560-4651 (614) 264-1254 cell dora.candelaria@disney.com

Derek Del Rossi (New York) Buena Vista Pictures Publicity Manager, Publicist 212/536-6427 derek.del.rossi@disney.com

Source: Buena Vista Pictures Marketing

CONTACT: Brent Maurer, Director of Public Relations of Rahal Letterman Racing, +1-614-529-7000, ext. 104, or cell, +1-614-264-1254; or Dora Candelaria (Los Angeles), Senior Publicist, +1-818-560-4651, dora.candelaria@disney.com, or Derek Del Rossi (New York), Manager, Publicist, +1-212-536-6427, derek.del.rossi@disney.com, both of Buena Vista Pictures Publicity

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