(Stafford Springs, CT)---Stafford Motor Speedway and CARQUEST Auto Parts are proud to continue the tradition of the annual CARQUEST Belts and Hose Pit Party as part of the pre-race festivities for the 39th Annual TECH-Net Spring Sizzler on Sunday, April 25th. Stafford Motor Speedway and Whelen Modified Tour racecars, drivers, teams and sponsors will convene on the infield of the half-mile oval, giving fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite drivers which marks the traditional start to the another season of racing at Stafford Motor Speedway. For this year's CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party, the first 100 race fans admitted to the pit party will receive a special gift, courtesy of CARQUEST Belts and Hose.

"The CARQUEST Belts and Hoses Pit Party is a unique opportunity for our fans to get up close and personal with their favorite cars and drivers that they follow, " said Mark Arute, SMS COO/GM. "We are pleased to have CARQUEST Belts & Hoses on board with us and affiliated with our longstanding pit party tradition at both the Spring Sizzler and the Fall Final events. The Spring Sizzler and Fall Final are two of our most prestigious events, and our continuing relationship with CARQUEST Belts and Hose only adds to the tradition and prestige of those events."

CARQUEST Belts & Hoses are top quality products produced by Gates, the world's leading manufacturer and aftermarket supplier, covering both domestic and import vehicles. Many of these products are the same as those specified by OEM's around the world. The Gates Corporation has been recognized as one of the leading manufacturers of automotive power transmission products.

CARQUEST is a recognized market leader in automotive and heavy-duty application coverage and known for first-to-market status. CARQUEST Belts & Hose customers can rely on the most complete coverage for the majority of today's passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs. CARQUEST Micro-V® Serpentine Belts offer the latest technology in V-ribbed belt design and construction. These products are available at your local CARQUEST Auto Parts store.

The Pit Party sponsorship continues CARQUEST Auto Parts' already long and storied involvement with Stafford Speedway. CARQUEST Auto Parts first became involved with Stafford Motor Speedway as a track sponsor during the 1985 season. CARQUEST Auto Parts, and its nearly 4,000 stores nationwide, brought the Modified Tour back to Stafford in 1989, brought the ISMA Supermodifieds to Stafford with the open wheel CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday event, brought the PRA Big Car Series to Stafford in 2006, and in 2008 returned the SK® 150 to Stafford after a four year absence from the schedule. In addition to CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday and the CARQUEST SK® 150, CARQUEST Auto Parts is currently the title sponsor of the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler and the CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend Whelen Modified Tour events. CARQUEST Auto Parts also offers first place contingency bonuses to the SK Modified®, Late Model, and Limited Late Model divisions, and was instrumental in bringing Valvoline to the SK Modified® division and Bosch Spark Plugs to the SK Light Modified division as contingency sponsors.

The 39th annual Tech-Net Spring Sizzler presented by CARQUEST will kick off the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season at Stafford April 23-25. The CARQUEST Belts and Hose Pit Party will be held on Sunday, April 25 from 11:00am to noon. Tickets for "The Greatest Race in the History of Spring" are now on sale at the Stafford Motor Speedway box office. Tickets are priced at $35.00 for adult general admission tickets, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, $38.00 for reserved seats, and free for children ages 5 & under. Tickets are good for admission to the Saturday April 24, and Sunday, April 25 portions of the Tech-Net Spring Sizzler, with the Friday, April 23 practice session open the public free of charge.

For more information about CARQUEST Auto Parts Stores or Tech-Net Professional Auto Service, go to www.CARQUEST.com. For more information about Gates Corporation and its products, go to www.gates.com.

###