Thu, 1 Dec 2005, 11:31 AM Danica Patrick, Letlani Munter and Melanie Troxel to Become Hostess 'Race Divas'

Courtesy of Hannah Arnold

Troxel, Patrick and Munter

Three of professional racing1s leading [female] drivers - Danica Patrick (IRL), Leilani Munter (NASCAR) and Melanie Troxel (NHRA) - have signed on to become Hostess "Race Divas" under a new sponsorship agreement with the brand famous for many of America's all-time favorite snack cakes.

The racing sponsorship program will involve HostessR Twinkies, Cup Cakes and Donettes and feature a range of promotional activities, including special limited edition packaging and displays, which will debut next year, with photos of the three drivers.

"Interest in women in professional racing continues to grow, with Danica, Leilani and Melanie serving as excellent ambassadors for the sport," said Kevin Kaul, Hostess marketing manager. "We are pleased to sponsor these outstanding drivers as they pursue their dreams and inspire an even more diverse fan base, and, at the same time, leverage the opportunity to connect the iconic Hostess brand with the enthusiasm surrounding racing and women's increasing prominence in the sport."

"Having grown up with Twinkies and Cup Cakes, I am thrilled to have Hostess as a sponsor and to be part of the Hostess Race Divas program," said Ms. Patrick. "It1s an exciting opportunity to bring together America's favorite brand of snack cakes with the country's favorite spectator sport."

As the 2005 IRL Indy Car Series Rookie of the Year, Danica Patrick has emerged as an international superstar of racing, further increasing the popularity of one of the hottest professional sports around. In addition to her impressive 4th place finish at this year's Indianapolis 500, Danica had 5 other top ten race finishes in 2005 including a 6th place finish in the Peak Antifreeze Indy 300. She also won the pole starting position at 3 races during the 2005 season, tying a record for most poles won in a single season. Her impressive record also includes a 3rd place finish in the 2004 Toyota Atlantic Championship - the highest finish by a female driver in series history - a 2nd place finish at the 2003 Formula Ford Festival in England - the highest finish ever by an American driver - and a win at the 2002 Long Beach Grand Prix Pro/Celebrity event. She was born in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Leilani Munter, who has signed to race for Konica Minolta in the NASCAR Elite Division for the 2006 season, qualified 4th and finished 7th at the Texas Motor Speedway in her first super late model race in 2004. She made her debut in 2003 at the South Boston Speedway, where she placed 9th. In addition to racing in the NASCAR Elite Division, she is a race instructor at Fast Track High Performance Driving School and a special correspondent for NASCAR.com. Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Leilani once worked as a photo double for actress Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Melanie Troxel is a two-time NHRA [Alcohol Dragster event] champion and a record holder in the Alcohol Dragster class, in which she placed 2nd for the championship in 1999. Most recently, she was the [Top Fuel] runner-up finisher in the 2005 NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. She also has earned the distinction as the fastest [and quickest] female racer in NHRA history, [establishing a 4.458-second elapsed time at 330. 31 MPH in Dallas this year]. In 2000, Melanie received the NHRA Road to the Future Award and was the Top Fuel runner-up at the NHRA O1Reilly Fall Nationals in Dallas. Having spent a lifetime around the race track, the Littleton, Colorado, native is the daughter of the late veteran drag racer Mike Troxel.