Brian Paulus No. 28 show car to make number of local appearances, including Thursday
HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 16, 2001) - Brian Paulus has chosen a dangerous way to make a living as the driver of a World of Outlaws sprint car.
But with each lap of his so-called Salad Car, he spreads the word about the healthful products offered by one of his sponsors, Verdelli Farms Inc. The largest regional produce processor on the East Coast, Harrisburg-based Verdelli Farms inspired Paulus to air brush a giant salad on the car's exterior.
The No. 28 show car will make a series of local appearances, including Thursday evening at Williams Grove Speedway and Saturday afternoon at the new Giant supermarket at Cumberland Marketplace, both in Mechanicsburg. (See complete schedule below.)
Paulus and the P&P Motorsports Racing Team of Mechanicsburg had been driving a simple silver-and-gold car until an employee at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina bowled them over with the idea of turning the car into a speeding salad. Paulus, who happens to be a graphic artist, came up with a design that debuted at last year's 2000 Amoco Knoxville Nationals. The design won a "best of show" award at the race.
"The salad car ... ," wrote Jeff Olson, senior editor of Racing magazine, "took Brian Paulus from the fringe of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series to the edge of stardom. "With his car receiving attention for its paint scheme as well as its results, Paulus placed himself in queue with the current crop of drivers eager to make the move from sprints to NASCAR or Indy cars."
Paulus' third-place finish on March 29 at Texas Motor Speedway was his best ever. On Friday, he placed 11th at the Terra Haute (Ind.) Action Track. He will be closer to home this weekend with Thursday and Friday starts at Williams Grove Speedway and Saturday at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway. Friday's race will be televised nationally on TNN.
"To race across the country as we do just wouldn't be possible without sponsors such as Verdelli Farms," Paulus said. "It's an added benefit for our team ? and I hope for Verdelli Farms ? for a sponsorship to become so completely associated with the car's identity. I'm proud to represent Verdelli Farms every time the No. 28 car hits the track."
"We first approached the sponsorship as a way to support a talented local driver, which Brian is," said Daniel Verdelli, executive vice president at Verdelli Farms. "Racing is so much about family and community, which appeals to a fourth-generation family business like Verdelli Farms. And racing fans are tremendously loyal consumers when it comes to the products of car sponsors."
