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Pakistan's Nur Ali becomes first Asian to compete at Daytona!

Karachi: February 27, 2008 - Former A1GP Team Pakistan, Open-wheel veteran and recently turned stock car driver Nur Ali made his competitive stock car debut last week at the hallowed cauldron of racing known simply as Daytona, to become the first Asian ever to compete at the world-renowned ARCA Daytona 200.

Ali took to the track in the #45 Tara Energy sponsored Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Charger. In doing so, Ali added a critical component to stock car racing's latest push for globalization. Commenting on Ali's transition to stock cars, Adil Jafry, CEO of Tara Energy said, "Ali's entry into ARCA creates exciting opportunities for Tara Energy to reach customers who enjoy stock car racing and we anticipate that his loyal open-wheel racing fan base will follow him to the excitement of Daytona."

Ali's stock car debut at the 45th running of the ARCA Daytona 200 drew one of the largest and most competitive field of drivers thus far. ARCA Race Series is the junior league of the American based NASCAR Series, the highest and most popular type of racing in the United States. As the week began, 65 teams came to Daytona vying for an opportunity to qualify for the big race.

On race day, Ali was amazingly calm and relaxed. The weather was warm and sunny, a perfect Florida day for racing. As the day progressed, the track became increasingly crowded with fans. An autograph session was held at the noon hour, and fans surrounded Ali seeking autographs and photos.

Charged with taking Ali to Daytona for his stock car debut was the seasoned ARCA team of Cunningham Motorsports. The overall race strategy was to make certain that Ali cleanly got into the draft at the start of the race and avoided the inevitable multi-car pile up. The car itself was setup for drafting on the 2.5 mile Daytona International Speedway and in order to gain the most speed, Ali would have to quickly adapt to the stock car style of racing.

Working within the draft, Ali began picking off one car after another, battling his way up to 23rd position. Shortly thereafter, several cars directly ahead of Ali got involved in a minor incident challenging Ali's open-wheel instincts just to avoid the impact. In a breath taking maneuver, Ali steered clear of any contact by driving through the grass between pit road and the front stretch drawing a cheer from the crowd. Regaining his position following the first yellow flag of the race, Ali continued his onslaught rapidly moving up the chart from 23rd to 17th. As part of the pre-race pit strategy, Cunningham Motorsports crew chief wisely instructed Ali to remain on the track during the next yellow caution flag while other teams elected to pit. As a result, Ali advanced his position, moving up to 7th place.

As expected, the major red flag incident of the race came on lap 30, when two cars bounced off one another, triggering a multi-car pileup involving some 16 cars. Though Ali successfully eluded two prior accidents during the race, Ali's car sustained damage when flying debris punched a hole in the radiator.

Determined to get Ali back out on the track to finish the race, the Cunningham Motorsports team worked diligently to replace the radiator in the garage and tape the car's damaged hood closed. After approximately 15 minutes in the garage, Ali returned to the track with a bruised #45 car. Upon returning to the field in 32nd place, Ali continued where he left off setting strong lap times and finishing the race in 23rd position.


Nur Ali to debut in prestigious Daytona race in America

Karachi: January 23, 2008 - Nur Ali, the first Pakistani professional race car driver in the world is set to compete in the upcoming ARCA Series Daytona 200 Race on Saturday, February 9, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida - USA. The ARCA Race Series is the "Developmental program for NASCAR" or the junior league to the American based NASCAR Series, America's top racing league.

During the December 2007 practice session at the world famous Daytona International
Speedway, Nur not only drove a stock car (NASCAR style race car) for the first time, but
also became the first Asian to step into a stock car. At the dawn of a new era in auto racing, when the world is sending talented new drivers to American stock car racing, Nur Ali will break new ground by being the first Asian driver to take the leap. Becoming the first Asian to set foot in American stock car racing gives Nur an opportunity to bring diversity to this sport.

In December's practice sessions, remarkably Nur logged the most laps and miles over the three days of testing than any other driver. He concluded Sunday afternoon's test with a weekend total of 171 laps for a driving distance of 427.5 miles, which is more than two ARCA RE/MAX Daytona 200 race events.

Nur recently represented Pakistan in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsports which is Pakistan's first rofessional race team. Nur an open wheel race veteran has been racing professionally for 10 years and his ultimate goal is to reach the top levels of NASCAR in the near future.

Daytona International Speedway is the home of "The Great American Race" -- the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 is the biggest and most prestigious race in America and annually kicks off the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series. Although the Daytona 500 garners most of the attention, the enormous 480-acre motorsports complex boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe -- earning it the title of "World Center of Racing."

Nur plans to compete in all 21 ARCA race events in the 2008 season. The schedule includes several key markets where the Pakistani community has an opportunity to witness and enjoy an ARCA event in person by attending the race and supporting our very own. An ARCA race has also been added this year to the Greater Toronto, Canada Area slated for this summer.