NASCAR great Terry Labonte to be at Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship Sept. 11
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RICHMOND, Va. – Two-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte will make a pit stop in Richmond to sign autographs and pose for photos during the Wal-Mart FLW Tour World Championship and Outdoor Show presented by Castrol taking place Sept. 10-13. Labonte will be at the show Thursday, Sept. 11, from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. The outdoor show is taking place at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, where the Wal-Mart FLW Tour bass-fishing championship weigh-ins will be held each day starting at 5 p.m.
Labonte will sign autographs from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Due to the limited amount of time, fans must pick up a ticket at the Kellogg’s booth at the start of the outdoor show on Thursday in order to receive an autographed photo. There will be approximately 250 tickets available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Labonte will be on the main stage from 4:15 to 5 p.m. to answer questions from the crowd.
Labonte, who races for Hendrick Motorsports and is sponsored by Kellogg’s, has shared the spotlight with a professional angler before. In 2000, Kellogg’s featured the NASCAR great alongside 2000 Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt on the same box, effectively placing the FLW Tour on par with the commercial phenomenon that is NASCAR.
Kellogg’s has been a major sponsor of both NASCAR and FLW Outdoors for many years and has taken notice of the mass appeal of both sports and the crossover of fans. With the ever-increasing popularity of both sports, the company created two Racin’ and Reelin’ trailers, which are designed to bring together the excitement of NASCAR and FLW Outdoors sponsorships. The rigs feature racing simulator stations and a fantasy photo studio, and they make more than 700 stops a year at Wal-Mart stores across the country.
The trailer will stop at the outdoor show, which will include 150,000 square feet of exhibits featuring great buys on everything from crankbaits to bass boats. The show runs from 1-9 p.m. daily Sept. 10-13, and admission is free.
Members of the Kellogg’s pro fishing team, including Steve Daniel of Clewiston, Fla.; Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla.; Alvin Shaw of State Road, N.C.; Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas; and Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, will also be appearing at the tournament. The team, which competes in NASCAR-style boats sporting the Kellogg’s™ logo, has combined winnings of $1.8 million and 58 top-10 tournament finishes.
“Comparisons are consistently made between the explosive popularity of NASCAR and competitive fishing as well as the fans that support both sports,” said Christine Creed, vice president of marketing for FLW Outdoors. “It is a great honor to have Terry at our championship, as it speaks volumes of the value that FLW Outdoors tournaments have to offer in the world of sports marketing.”
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