Tavares, Florida — Alex Job Racing and Ruby Tuesday have joined forces to form the Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team. The team will compete in the remainder of the 2006 and full 2007 Grand American Rolex Series. This exclusive sponsorship arrangement will debut on the team’s number 23 / Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team / Porsche / Crawford Daytona Prototype this weekend at Virginia International Raceway.
Alex Job Racing, founded by Alex and Holly Job, represents more than 18 years of experience competing at the top level of sportscar racing. Since 1999 the Florida based squad has amassed over 37 wins, 47 pole positions and 78 podium finishes. The team carries one of the best, and longest, pedigrees in all of professional motorsports.
Ruby Tuesday, based in Maryville, Tennessee, is one of the nation’s leading casual-dining restaurant companies, with more than 800 restaurants worldwide. It was founded in 1972 by Sandy Beall, who serves as Chairman and CEO today. The company is committed to having uncompromising freshness and quality with passionate employees who take pride in delighting guests with an excellent dining experience. The burger-centric menu features an assortment of handcrafted burgers, its fresh salad bar, premium baby back ribs and a variety of other signature entrees. Ruby Tuesday, Inc. is traded on the NY Stock Exchange (symbol:RI).
"We have solidified our place on the track and in the Daytona Prototype standings with the first three races, this relationship helps to secure the future of our program," said Alex Job. "We were very fortunate to have racing sponsors that helped us to get our start in prototype racing for the first three events. Ruby Tuesday’s involvement, led by strategic partner Brad Blum of BLUM Enterprises, has provided us with a comprehensive program that puts our team in an excellent position to compete for this years Daytona Prototype championship as well as carry us over to 2007. Brad, a Porsche racer in his own right, has been involved in motorsports in the past, recognizes the benefits, and he has put together a great marketing program around the team that involves some very exciting elements."
"Ruby Tuesday is about quality, passion and pride," said Mr. Blum, who is working closely with Ruby Tuesday as an integral member of its executive team. "Alex Job Racing, as evident by their track record, shares in the values of our mission statement. Bringing the Ruby Tuesday brand into motorsport and the Grand American series will help us create excitement as well as broaden our brand loyalty. The Alex Job Racing effort has already won a race this year and the team is second in points. We hope the added ingredient of Ruby Tuesday and the support of our 40,000+ team members can help carry the AJR effort to the Grand Am Daytona Prototype championship this year."
"The Grand American series has been able to garner interest from the top consumer brands in the country. Ruby Tuesday is definitely one of those and we welcome them," said Jim France, a founding partner of the Grand American Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal. "We are also attracting the top teams and Alex Job Racing has reaffirmed their position as one of the best sportscar teams in racing. The marriage of Ruby Tuesday and Alex Job Racing will help to strengthen our series. The added marketing muscle that a high profile brand like Ruby Tuesday brings will be good for everyone involved in the series."
The season has started off very competitively for the team. At the series opener, the team started the 24 Hours at Daytona from pole position and led several times to eventually finish in third. At Homestead Mike Rockefeller qualified on pole and together with Patrick Long went on to win. In the last round at Long Beach, Long put the car on the front row with a second place qualifying effort and that is where the duo finished. Alex Job Racing is currently second in the Daytona Prototype team standings and pilots Rockefeller and Long are third in driver points, just 14 out of the overall lead.
Round five of the Grand American Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve at Virginia International Raceway will take the green flag on Sunday, April 23rd at 1:00 p.m. EST and will be televised live on Speed Channel.
To view the Alex Job Racing press kit or for additional information, please refer to www.alexjobracing.com or contact Kyle Chura by or at (248) 821-0468.