NBC, NASCAR and Yates Racing have teamed up to help promote Knight Rider. This Saturday, as part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Travis Kvapil will drive the specially painted No. 28 car.
"The stealth look and feel of the car coupled with Travis Kvapil at the helm has us very excited about this race," said John Miller, chief marketing officer at NBC Universal Television Group and president of the NBC Agency. "This event exemplifies the adrenaline and action the 'Knight Rider' series will deliver."
Added Kvapil: "It's every guy's dream to feel like they are an action hero, and I get to have that chance under the lights of Bristol with our No. 28 'Knight Rider' Ford."
[via Hollywood Reporter]
YATES RACING AND NBC ANNOUNCE DRIVER TRAVIS KVAPIL TO DRIVE No. 28 'Knight Rider' FORD AT BRISTOLCONCORD, N.C. -- August 19, 2008 -- Yates Racing and NBC announced today
that in a unique partnership between Ford Motor Company and NBC, Travis
Kvapil will pilot the No. 28 "Knight Rider" Ford for the NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 23rd. The
sponsorship by NBC of the No. 28 Ford comes in anticipation of the
television series premiere of NBC's "Knight Rider" on Wednesday,
September 24th at 8:00 p.m. EST.On the heels of NBC's hit movie, the iconic 1980's television classics
comes roaring back to life as a reinvented, updated and super-charged
action series showcasing the new KITT (Knight Industries Three
Thousand). As absolutely the coolest car ever created, KITT is equipped
with "AI" (artificial intelligence) that is capable of hacking into
almost any system. The vehicle's weapon system matches that of a jet
fighter, its body is capable of transforming into other vehicles, and
the car uses sophisticated holographic imagery to elude villains."This is such an awesome sponsor for our team at Bristol," commented
Kvapil. "The television series 'Knight Rider' is a show that everyone
can get hooked on. I think it's really cool that NBC has chosen to
reinvent the series for the Fall line-up. The best part about the show
was always the car, KITT, and this is amazing that I get to drive a
version of KITT for the night race at Bristol. It's every guy's dream
to feel like they are an action hero and I get to have that chance under
the lights of Bristol with our No. 28 'Knight Rider' Ford.""The stealth look and feel of the car coupled with Travis Kvapil at the
helm has us very excited about this race," said John Miller, Chief
Marketing Officer, NBC Universal Television Group President, The NBC
Agency. "This event exemplifies the adrenalin and action the 'Knight
Rider' series will deliver and illustrates the strength and
compatibility of our sponsor partnership with Ford."The premiere of the No. 28 "Knight Rider" Ford will take place on August
23rd, 2008 for the Sharpie 500 when Kvapil and his Yates Racing
teammate, David Gilliland, travel to Bristol Motor Speedway for the 24th
race of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season. The Sharpie 500 will be
broadcast on ESPN Saturday, August 23rd with television coverage
beginning at 7:00 pm EST and radio coverage provided by the Performance
Racing Network.Kvapil has achieved three top-10 finishes and four top-15 finishes this
season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series within the first 22 starts of the
year. Kvapil has also completed 99.5 percent of the total laps
possible this season and is currently 23rd in the driver point
standings.The No. 28 "Knight Rider" Ford has a paint scheme that promotes the
super-charged Mustang from the show, KITT. The Mustang on "Knight
Rider" boasts doors that open vertically, a top speed of 377 mph and,
most importantly turbo-boost.Gary Scott Thompson ("The Fast and The Furious," "Las Vegas"), David
Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The
Bourne Identity") serve as executive producers on "Knight Rider," which
stars Justin Bruening ("Cold Case"), Deanna Russo ("NCIS"), Sydney
Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars"), Paul Campbell ("Battlestar
Galactica"), Yancey Arias ("Kingpin") and Bruce Davison ("Breach").
Smith Cho ("Blades of Glory") recurs. Based on characters created by
Glen Larson, "Knight Rider" is from Universal Media Studios and Dutch
Oven Productions.About Yates Racing
Yates Racing operates two motorsports teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series. Formerly known as Robert Yates Racing, the team is owned by Doug
Yates, who took the reins after his father, Robert Yates, retired at the
end of the 2007 season, and partnered with Max Jones; a former road
racer and long-time championship General Manager. The 2008 season will
mark the 20th year of competition for the Ford team. During those years,
the organization had a total of 57 wins, 48 poles, 269 top-five
finishes, 427 top-ten finishes, and a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Championship. Yates Racing will field two Ford Fusions in the 2008
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with drivers Travis Kvapil and David
Gilliland.
