The Principal Financial Group Expands Sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. for 2008 NASCAR Season
February 15, 2008 (Des Moines, Iowa) — The Principal Financial Group®, one of the nation's 401(k) leaders, announces its expanded relationship with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI). The Principal® has agreed to a multi-race primary sponsorship involving DEI's No. 8 Chevrolet, co-driven by Mark Martin and Aric Almirola and the No. 01 Chevrolet driven by Regan Smith during the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The Principal will also serve as an associate sponsor on both cars for the entire Sprint Cup season.
"The Principal is proud to once again participate in NASCAR, and support Mark Martin, Regan Smith and now Aric Almirola. All three drivers are exciting to watch, and we are confident they will be valuable ambassadors of the Principal Financial Group brand. We are also pleased to partner with the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. organization. DEI works hard to give their drivers an edge on the track, just as we at The Principal work hard to give our customers an edge in planning for their financial futures," said Mary O'Keefe, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the Principal Financial Group.
"Rookie-of-the-year" candidate Regan Smith will drive the Principal Financial Group Chevrolet Feb. 17 at the Daytona 500 and again July 27 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Mark Martin will represent The Principal in the No. 8 Chevrolet at California Speedway Feb. 24 in what will be Martin's 700th career Cup Series start.
"To be behind the wheel of a Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet is surreal, and I plan to take full advantage of the opportunity. It's a privilege to work for a company that was started by the driver I idolized," said Smith. "I'm confident that the No. 01 Principal Financial Group Chevrolet and its team will have an exciting season, full of milestones, celebrations and wins."
This marks the third season for The Principal as NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team sponsor, and the second year that Mark Martin and Regan Smith will race in the Principal Financial Group colors. The Principal first joined NASCAR in Aug. 2006 with MB2 Motorsports.
Dale Earnhardt Inc., based in Mooresville, N.C., employs more than 450 people on its two state-of-the-art campuses. Dale Earnhardt Inc. is comprises of a NASCAR Nationwide Series team and four Sprint Cup teams, featuring drivers Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith, Mark Martin and Aric Almirola. The organization has amassed more than 100 wins, and has won six NASCAR Championships, as well as three Daytona 500s.
About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)1 is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $311.1 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 18.6 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
1) "The Principal Financial Group" and "The Principal" are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
2) As of December 31, 2007.
