Hot Rod Magazine publisher to speak to ISU students, others about careers in motorsports

Publisher of nation’s leading automotive performance brand visits Indiana State University to share expertise in advance of the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour™

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Representing Hot Rod Magazine, the world’s largest automotive enthusiast magazine reaching more than 7.5 million readers per month, and in advance of the HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour™, Publisher Jerry Pitt will address students at Indiana State University Thursday, April 19th from Noon - 3pm in the College of Technology Room #105.

The event at Indiana State will include a keynote address from Pitt followed by a panel discussion about education and career paths in motorsports and automotive fields. The discussion will focus on marketing, journalism and publishing, as well as public relations in regard to the motorsports industry. In addition to Pitt, other panelists will include:
• Guy Faulkner (moderator), Director of Motorsports Initiatives and Assistant Professor of Motorsports Studies at Indiana State University;
• Jane Barnes, Special Projects Director, Panther Racing;
• Tom Weisenbach, Executive Director, Indiana Motorsport Association;
• Charles Williams, Principal, Williams-Randall Marketing.

“Make pursuing your passion for performance your profession.”

Pitt will address high school and college students about the range of opportunities available to students with automotive interests, from enthusiast publishing and journalism to careers on the design and manufacturing sides of the business. Students are encouraged to see the pages of HOT ROD Magazine come to life at the 2007 HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour ™, the nation’s largest traveling hot rod spectacular that will make a stop in Evansville on Wednesday, June 6th at Roberts Stadium.

“It’s all about pursuing your passion,” says Pitt. “I am extremely proud to be a part of this exciting industry and directing this influential brand. At Hot Rod we are constantly asked about careers ranging from publishing to automotive to how to break into the business. There are many choices for qualified graduates of automotive programs. I’m thrilled to share my experiences and offer insight into the enthusiast world.”

As publisher of Hot Rod, Pitt oversees a recognized brand that literally spawned an industry more than 50 years ago and caters to people passionate about their vehicles. In addition to his work with the magazine, Pitt is also involved in HOT ROD TV, available nationally to more than 30 million viewers on The Outdoor Channel (TOC), www.hotrod.com, and the annual HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour™, the nation’s largest “road trip” of classic cars, late-model performance vehicles and trucks. Sponsored by General Motors Performance Division and co-sponsored by Flowmaster Performance Exhaust, this year’s 8-day, 7-city Tour starts on June 3 in Cleveland, OH and travels over 4,500 performance vehicles through the Midwest before arriving for final festivities in Little Rock, AR on June 8th. For more information on the 2007 HOT ROD Magazine Power Tour™, visit www.hotrod.com.

Hot Rod is part of the Automotive Enthusiast Group of PRIMEDIA, the world’s largest special-interest publisher.

Pushing the Boundaries of Performance at ISU

Just an hour’s drive from the home of the greatest spectacle in racing - the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, is strategically positioned to make its mark on the motorsports industry in a fresh and dynamic way.

Indiana State emerged in 2006 with a uniquely designed interdisciplinary minor in motorsports management. Unlike programs at other institutions, ISU has three of its colleges -- Business, Health and Human Performance and Technology -- involved in offering a multidisciplinary approach to motorsports studies. In addition to the minor, the university is continuing to develop a variety of related initiatives as a means of emphasizing even further its commitment to motorsports studies and to enriching the state\'s workforce in regard to that industry.

Last semester alone, ISU motorsports students served as interns for the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas and for GM and Team Chevrolet at the Texas Motor Speedway. They also launched Team Sycamore Racing, a new campus organization comprised of students from all academic areas, which will be operating, managing and driving a dragster at area speedways during the 2007 racing season.

Through statewide partnerships with the Indiana governor’s office, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Indiana Motorsports Association in addition to international partnerships with the United Kingdom’s Motorsports Knowledge Exchange and the International Motorsports Association, ISU’s impact will surely be felt around the globe. The impact of ISU’s program and its students is being noticed as they push the boundaries of performance throughout the state, the nation and the world.

-30-

CONTACTS:
Photos available upon request. To arrange an interview with Hot Rod staff, please contact Jessica Hubley at (317) 236-6515 x.4667 or jhubley@familyevents.com.

To arrange interviews with ISU organizers, contact Maria Greninger, associate director, Communications & Marketing, Indiana State University, (812) 237-4357 or 237-7972 (Tuesdays) or at mgreninger@indstate.edu.