Joe Gibbs Racing Inks MBNA as Sponsor

MBNA to sponsor Joe Gibbs Racing cars

WILMINGTON, Del. (Oct. 15, 1998) MBNA America Bank, N.A., the leading credit card issuer in motorsports, announced a significant expansion of its racing involvement by signing a multi-year agreement to become a principal sponsor of the Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Starting in 1999, MBNA will be the primary sponsor of Bobby Labonte's Pontiac and J.D. Gibbs' car in the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division and Coy Gibbs' NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series car. MBNA will be an associate sponsor of Labonte's NASCAR Winston Cup Series car as well.

Labonte is currently seventh in the NASCAR Winston Cup point standings with two races wins, the sixth and seventh of his career, at Atlanta and Talladega, this season. He added a NASCAR Busch Series victory at Darlington in March, the eighth of his career. J.D. Gibbs and Coy Gibbs, both sons of the team owner, are relative newcomers to their respective NASCAR divisions.

"This partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing gives MBNA a tremendous opportunity to increase our presence in all forms of racing," said K. David Elgena, Senior Executive Vice President and Director of MBNA Motorsports. "We feel we have underscored our stature as the motorsports credit card company."

"The association of MBNA Motorsports with Joe Gibbs Racing is an important expansion of MBNA's leadership in sports-related credit card marketing. MBNA is the official credit card issuer of the National Football League, the National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, and more than 600 sports-related organizations."

Joe Gibbs, former head coach of the three-time Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, represents the best in all of sports.

"We are very happy to welcome MBNA to our racing family," Gibbs said. "We look at each of our sponsors as contributors to a joint effort, and MBNA Motorsports, with its strong credit card programs, will make a great partner."

MBNA has sponsored the No. 22 Pontiac of Bill Davis Racing, driven by Ward Burton, since 1995.

In addition, MBNA sponsors two NASCAR race weekends each year at Dover Downs International Speedway in Delaware; the MBNA Platinum 200 and 400 in the spring and the MBNA Gold 200 and 400 in the fall.

Source: NASCAR Online