Michael Waltrip to race at Berlin Raceway
Will appear at the Wednesday, June 16 Spring Memorial Race

MARNE, MI - NASCAR Nextel Cup Star Michael Waltrip gave Berlin Raceway a boost today,  committing to race at the legendary asphalt oval on Wednesday, June 16. Waltrip will join Johnny Benson in what will be an exciting 125-lap Spring Memorial Race presented by Meijer and Tony¹s Pizza.

Waltrip joins a growing list of NASCAR stars including Tony Stewart, Kenny Schrader and Dick Trickle, who have competed at Berlin Raceway in recent years. Also racing this year is 2000 Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte, scheduled for Wednesday, August 18.

Berlin Raceway president Scott Lane gives credit to Benson, a limited partner in the Berlin Raceway ownership group, and his relationship with Nextel Cup drivers that has made it possible to secure so many big names in the past four years.

³This is really Johnny¹s influence that allows us to secure such big names,² Lane said. ³Johnny and Michael are very close, and it¹s Johnny¹s relationship with him that made him commit to race here. When Johnny talks to these drivers, they¹ve all heard great things about Berlin Raceway, and that makes it easier to get their committment to see this track for themselves. Having both Bobby Labonte and Michael Waltrip in the same season will be exciting for the fans.²

Waltrip, who races the #15 NAPA car for Dale Earnhardt Inc., on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit, won the Daytona 500 in 2001 and 2003. He is in his 20th season driving in NASCAR¹s top level. This will be his first appearance at Berlin Raceway.

The Spring Memorial Race presented by Meijer and Tony¹s Pizza will serve as a fundraiser for Wright Township and its residents to help ³Flush the Debt² for overages in the sewer rebuilding project that otherwise will be paid by local businesses and residents. One dollar for every ticket sold will be donated to the cause.

Tickets for the Spring Memorial are $25 in advance and $27 at the gate. Pit passes are $30. Tickets can be purchased from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Berlin Raceway administrative office (2060 Berlin Fair Drive, Marne, MI, located in the white building at the next drive past the main entrance to the fairgrounds). Tickets are also available online at www.berlinraceway.com and at www.ticketmaster.com, or in person at TicketMaster outlets in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. The Berlin Raceway Ticket Office, located at the entrance gates to the grandstands, will open for individual ticket sales later in the spring.