(Stafford Springs, CT)---The CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party is a Stafford Motor Speedway tradition that is entering into its third decade of existence, with the very first Pit Party taking place during CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend on September 30, 1990. The CARQUEST Belts and Hose Pit Party tradition will continue at Stafford on Sunday, October 2nd as part of the 39th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend pre-race festivities.

The CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party is a meet and greet session that allows race fans to get up close and personal with their favorite drivers and cars. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars and drivers as well as cars and drivers from Stafford's five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will fill the frontstretch infield from 11am-12 noon on Sunday, Oct. 2nd prior to the day's feature events, consisting of the SK Modified®, Late Model, and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races.

As part of the CARQUEST Belts and Hose festivities, Richie Pallai, Jr. will have a special CARQUEST Belts and Hose tee-shirt offer. Any fan who makes a $5 donation to benefit the Danbury Animal Welfare Society will receive a CARQUEST Belts & Hose Tee-Shirt. All fans who make a donation to D.A.W.S. will also receive a raffle ticket for a chance to be the honorary starter for the 40-lap SK Modified® feature that will take the green flag at 1pm on Sunday, October 2nd. Danbury Animal Welfare Society is the charity that Pallai raced for as part of the CARQUEST Champions For Charities race that was held in June as part of the CARQUEST Extreme Tuesday program.

The 1990 CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend was the first time that a pit party was held at a weekly NASCAR track as part of pre-race festivities. As the CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party gained in popularity throughout the years, the concept has spread to other area tracks and today the pit party is a mainstay in allowing race fans unique access to their favorite drivers and cars.

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. To find the CARQUEST Auto Parts store closest to you, please visit www.carquest.com/store_locator.html.

Tickets for the 39th Annual CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend 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, October 1st, and Sunday, October 2nd portions of the CARQUEST Fall Final. The CARQUEST Belts & Hose Pit Party is open to all CARQUEST Fall Final Weekend ticket holders.

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.

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