Boost Mobile to Sponsor Pastrana-Waltrip Racing

CORNELIUS, N.C., and IRVINE, Calif. ? Boost Mobile, an industry leader in no-contract wireless service, and Samsung Mobile, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, will sponsor Travis Pastrana when the action sports icon embarks on his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in 2011.

Pastrana will drive the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing in seven Nationwide Series races this season, including a mid-summer debut in Indianapolis designed to bridge NASCAR with the ESPN X Games. Pastrana plans to compete in at least 20 races in 2012.

The Boost Mobile announcement came Friday night at L.A. Live ? the sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles. Boost Mobile and longtime Pastrana sponsors Red Bull, DC Shoes and Nixon staged the launch party for 500 fans and members of the media. To celebrate the partnership, Pastrana received a Samsung Mobile handset from Boost Mobile to use as his official phone for the race season.

Pastrana, who owns 11 X Games gold medals, multiple supercross and motocross championships, and four Rally America championships, entertained the crowd with a freestyle motocross show and unveiled his race car. He is also known for his Nitro Circus empire, which includes a TV show, live tours and a soon-to-be-released 3D feature film.

?To announce this partnership in November and have a sponsor this soon is really gratifying, and we certainly appreciate Boost?s support,? Pastrana said. ?Having worked with Boost in the past and knowing what an innovative brand it is, I am excited to see what we can do together this year. To see this many people here tonight is quite a testament to the interest everyone has in what we plan to do in NASCAR. I?m ready to get started. We?ve tested, but nothing compares to racing and I?m really looking forward to that!?

?Boost has aligned with Travis? previous racing endeavors on the rally circuit and we are thrilled to be working with him again as he makes his debut on the NASCAR Nationwide Series,? said Ron Faris, director of brand experience, Boost Mobile. ?He brings a level of energy and fun that is a perfect match for the Boost brand. With our handset partner Samsung, we look forward to bringing the sponsorship to life and giving his fans and our customers an experience to remember this race season.?

Pastrana?s debut weekend will be a sports first. Pastrana will compete at the X Games in Los Angeles July 28 and July 29, fly to Indianapolis for his Nationwide Series debut on Saturday, then return to Los Angeles to finish his X Games competition.

?That is going to be a phenomenal weekend,? Pastrana said. ?We?re going big that weekend. Our vision for this team is to expose NASCAR and action sports to each other?s world, and this is a perfect way to accomplish that. We have a lot of work to do before then, but that weekend has already been marked on my calendar.?

In addition to Indianapolis, Pastrana plans to race in the following Nationwide Series races:

Sept. 9 ? Richmond, Va.

Oct. 1 ? Dover, Del.

Oct. 8 ? Kansas

Nov. 5 ? Fort Worth, Texas

Nov. 12 ? Phoenix

Nov. 19 ? Homestead-Miami

01.24.2011