>From NASCAR  Public Relations Office 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALL-START OPENING OF FIRST "NASCAR THUNDER' STORE SET FOR GWINNETTPLACE 
MALL IN ATLANTA

          Darrell Waltrip,  Richard And Kyle Petty To Greet Fans
Atlanta Ga. -- May 1 1996 -- The first NASCAR THUNDER, the 
"Official Store of NASCAR " will open its doors Saturday, May 11 at 
GwinnettPlace Mall in Atlanta With Darrell Waltrip "The King of NASCAR" 
Richard Petty and Kyle Petty among the stars of NASCAR Winston Cup 
racing to participate in the opening day celebration.
The NASCAR-themed retail store is a unique shopping experience 
bringing entertainment retailing to a new dimension. The 4,200 square 
foot store will feature exclusive NASCAR THUNDER merchandise and a TNN 
Motorsports brand called GO RACING. In addition, an electronic 
information board a 12-multi-screen video wall and unique driver-
oriented apparel, gifts, souvenirs, collectibles and exclusive artwork 
will be featured.
Darrell Waltrip three-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion will be 
on hand to officially open the NASCAR THUNDER doors and greet fans at 
10:00 AM on Saturday May 11. The winningest active driver on the NASCAR 
Winston Cup circuit with 84 victories Waltrip will also Join TNN 
personality Katie Haas for a special question & answer session in which 
race fans can quiz Waltrip on his racing strategy the race team etc.

"NASCAR THUNDER is going to be terrific for the race fans and what 
better place to open the first store but Atlanta where some of the most 
loyal NASCAR fans live "says Waltrip. "I am excited to be a part of the 
grand opening and even plan on doing a little early Christmas shopping 
at the store as well."

Engines will "rev-up" Saturday afternoon when NASCAR Winston Cup star 
Kyle Petty leads over 200 motorcycle riders from the "Kyle Petty Charity 
Ride Across America" to NASCAR THUNDER. Riding alongside Kyle will be 
his father Richard Petty, along with NASCAR drivers Steve Grissom, Harry 
Gant, Geoff Bodine, and Michael Waltrip. The drivers will be on hand to 
celebrate the opening of NASCAR THUNDER with a charity auction and a 
question & answer session with the fans
Sam Bass, known among race fans as one of the premier 
motorsports artists, will also be appearing on Saturday to autograph 
exclusive racing artwork available at NASCAR THUNDER.
GwinnettPlace Mall, a 1.5 million square foot, two-level 
enclosed super-regional center, features 220 stores including Macy's, 
Mervyn's, Parisian, Rich's, and Sears. It is located off I-85 North at 
Exit 40.
TNN: The Nashville Network, a division of Gaylord Entertainment 
Company (NYSE:GET), has an exclusive licensing agreement with NASCAR to 
own, operate, and manage a nationwide chain of NASCAR THUNDER retail 
stores. Plans call for up to five NASCAR THUNDER stores to open in 1996.
The NASCAR THUNDER store is an extension of the tremendous 
appeal and value of the NASCAR brand name and the demand for NASCAR 
merchandise, which in 1995 reached sales in excess of 5650 million and 
is projected to continue to grow to $1 billion by 1998.



For further information, contact:

Cameron Hall/Primedia   404/892-2287 
John Gnffin/NASCAR      904/947-6773
Nancy Neil/TNN    	615/871-6996


Jack Durbin                                   indy500@freenet.tlh.fl.us
Motorsport News International                      jackd@motorsport.com
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