$400,000 Awarded to Sprint Cup Series™ Driver Charities
Thirty-two Drivers Battled in Tournament Style Format
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. , Aug. 31, 2011 – The second annual DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout competition ended at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday when Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag and secured the DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout title, earning $199,375 for Paralyzed Veterans of America.
The DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout competition placed 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesTM drivers in a bracket-format competition for charity. DIRECTV, the exclusive provider of the NASCAR HotPassTM broadcast, donated $400,000 to driver charities during the course of the competition while fans competed for prizes and a chance at $1 million.
“Winning at Bristol was special on many levels, not the least of which was the fact that we were able to capture the DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout title,” said Keselowski. “I know first-hand the outstanding work that the Paralyzed Veterans of America do for our injured military heroes. It was an honor to represent them in this competition.”
Paralyzed Veterans of America is a national non-profit that changes lives and builds brighter futures for seriously injured military members. In 65 years the organization has built 34 chapters that represent thousands of veterans in 50 states and Puerto Rico .
“We are grateful to have these NASCAR drivers and DIRECTV supporting our mission and congratulate the Penske Racing team and driver Brad Keselowski for his win,” said Bill Lawson, national president of Paralyzed Veterans of America. “With their help and support and the generous donation put forth by DIRECTV, we will be able to continue changing the lives of our wounded heroes, and reach an even wider audience to raise awareness about our paralyzed veterans’ greatest needs: care, benefits and jobs.”
Behind Keselowski, the Fastest Four drivers in the high-stakes competition included Matt Kenseth, racing for Motor Racing Outreach; Clint Bowyer for Emporia Kansas Community Foundation; and Jeff Gordon for The Jeff Gordon Foundation. Each of the Fastest Four earned $39,375 for their perspective charities.
About DIRECTV:
DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is one of the world’s leading providers of digital television entertainment services delivering a premium video experience through state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming and industry leading customer service to more than 30 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its 19.4 million customers access to more than 170 HD channels and Dolby-Digital® 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET™, Emmy- award winning technology and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for ten years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil , Mexico , Argentina , Venezuela , Colombia , and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to more than 10.6 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh ) as well as a 60 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com <http://www.directv.com>