Since its formation, the Richard Petty Driving Experience has encountered exceptional growth each year. Continuous program improvement and customer service excellence have made the Richard Petty Driving Experience the premier motorsports entertainment company in the industry. In 1998 alone, RPDE attracted over 130,000 students and visitors to all locations, over 600 track days. In 19999, we are excited to bring our 6 riding and driving programs to the general public at 15 world famous tracks on more than 730 track days.

RPDE is a privately held company with three principles: Seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty; 1993-94 NASCAR Australian Champion Barry Graham; and Leo Hindery Jr., President and CEO of AT&T Broadband and Internet Services.

In 1987, Barry Graham started a company called NASTRAC in Australia. NASTRAC was designed to identify potential race car drivers and help teach them the fundamentals of racing. Barry found that his customers were not looking for a racing school or to become future drivers, instead he found that customer's wanted to experience the thrill and excitement of riding and/or driving in a Winston Cup-style stock car on the greatest race tracks in the world. Barry's long friendship with Richard Petty brought this exciting new company to the U.S. in 1993. In 1993, Barry started the Richard Petty Driving Experience at what was then Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

Realizing the need to venture west, RPDE expanded from its Charlotte base to include a year-round operational office at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September 1996. Operating more than 125 days annually, RPDE is the only Winston Cup driving school on the West Coast. RPDE opened its doors at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida in February 1997, RPDE saw an opportunity to expand into the largest family tourism market in the United States. Walt Disney World Speedway became the site of RPDE's third, year-round operational office. Located just inside the traffic gates to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, RPDE became one of the many-featured attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort. In keeping with the Magic Kingdom tradition, where the top drawing attractions are the wildest, most incredible, and most exciting rides, RPDE attracts more than 50,000 guests annually. High demand for the ultimate thrill keeps RPDE operating in Orlando more than 300 running days in a season. RPDE expanded its operation to Atlanta in January of 1999. Atlanta will operate a limited schedule in 1999 and a greatly expanded schedule in the year 2000.

Richard Petty Driving experience's corporate headquarters are based in Harrisburg, North Carolina. RPDE currently operates year round at four permanent locations; Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina; Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada; Walt Disney World Speedway, Orlando, Florida; and Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia. In addition, RPDE operates at 11 other tracks seasonally. They include: California Speedway, Fontana, California; Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida; Homestead Motorsports Complex, Homestead, Florida; Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana; The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin; Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth, Pennsylvania; New Hampshire International Speedway; Loudon, New Hampshire; Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, Colorado; Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia; Gateway International Raceway, Madison, Illinois; and the Texas Motor Speedway, Forth Worth, Texas.

Richard Petty Driving Experience started its road tour in 1998 with a visit to New Hampshire International Speedway. The overwhelming success of this visit prompted the expansion of the tour to its current 15 tracks in 1999.

In late 1997, RPDE added Daytona International Speedway to its lineup, running a limited 60-day schedule from May 31 through November 3. In conjunction with Daytona USA, the ultimate motorsports attraction, RPDE provides guests with the opportunity to ride in a two-seater stock car driven by a professional driver for three laps around the famed 2.5-mile superspeedway.

RPDE builds each of its 600 horsepower Winston Cup-style stock cars at its state-of-the-art facility in Harrisburg, North Carolina. At this facility, RPDE builds cars from the ground up. To help insure safety for our customers and employees, RPDE over engineers each car so that it can withstand the demands of an aggressive driver on the greatest racetracks in the world. RPDE has a sophisticated maintenance program that pulls the cars off the track at regular intervals fro maintenance, safety checks, and engine rebuilding. These cars registered over a million miles in 1998 without an injury.

Richard Petty Driving Experience will have over 730 track days in 1999, with plans to further expand its operations in the year 2000. RPDE will further define itself as the premier motorsports entertainment experience in the industry.