SPARTANBURG, SC, SC — KYMCO USA has signed on as a charter sponsor for a North Carolina-based racing team that is making history in AMA Superbike. From its headquarters deep in the heart of NASCAR country, Alan Rutherford and his “No Factory Support” team are campaigning through the 2007 Superbike season to win races and also to prove a point. “We aren’t out to bash the factory teams,” says team co-owner and manager Alan Rutherford. “But we are out to beat them.” And they are dead serious about it. For riders, the team of “privateers” has attracted three-time AMA champ Doug Chandler and talented young gun Kurtis Roberts, the son of racing legend Kenny Roberts. According to Alan Rutherford, “We’re happy to have KYMCO on board because they’re headed in the same direction we’re headed. KYMCO is one of the greatest products and they’re on the fast-track with growth right now.” The NFS headquarters facility in Gastonia, NC is outfitted with everything a Superbike team needs, including a complete machine shop for making parts and its own dyno room. “We aren’t cutting any corners,” Alan Rutherford says. “We are going out to win.” Four CBR 1000’s were purchased by the team from Ricky Hendricks Performance Honda in Charlotte. Gary Medley, a veteran from the Parts Unlimited Ducati team, is the crew chief. Matt Worbes from the Muzzy’s Exhaust Harley-Davidson team is the engine builder. Danny Hall, who has worked for Yamaha, will set up the chassis. Another Ducati veteran, Neil Freeman, and data specialist, Mike Dillon, round out the team. Rutherford and his partner, Rick Damele of Oakland, CA, formed their venture based on a belief that the Superbike circuit would benefit greatly by having sponsorship from outside the sport’s OE factory names. The example they hope to emulate is NASCAR, which has Sprint Nextel, Tide, UPS, Lowes Home Improvement and dozens of other well-known brands. The team is aiming high, and to help them achieve their lofty goal KYMCO was one of two sponsors signing on prior to the March 10, 2007 opening race at Daytona. (The other is Mac Tools.) KYMCO is providing four Super 9 AC 2T model scooters for the team’s use in the 2007 campaign. Two will be used by the riders for travel at the tracks. And two will be used by a crew from SPEED Channel which is following the team as part of a reality-based TV series. The television exposure is just one more way to gain a wider audience and wider sponsorship for Superbike. But first the NFS effort is focused on winning. “We’re going with the four fastest bikes and two of the hungriest riders,” Rutherford says. “We’re going to win and the sponsors will follow.” During the week leading up to NFS Racing’s first race, KYMCO USA will be on hand at Destination Daytona providing demo rides an its two- and four-wheel products. About the KYMCO Super 9 AC 2T A favorite of scooter racers and enthusiasts, the new Super 9 AC 2T is the top of the line of KYMCO 50cc scooters. It features cool, aggressive Superbike styling and is a thrill on the road. The air-cooled, oil-injected engine 2-stroke engine gets you off the line in a hurry, and KYMCO’s stepless CVT transmission does the shifting. From another press release issued by KYMCO USA: SPARTANBURG, SC “” KYMCO USA is joining the ranks of NASCAR sponsorship this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Virginia. In Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series Sharpie MINI 300 race, the company will be primary sponsor for the #56 KYMCO USA Chevrolet driven by last year’s Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Danny O’Quinn. The car’s hood will be splashed with KYMCO’s colors and logo and under that hood will be over 700 horsepower. “Naturally we’re excited to be a part of the NASCAR family,” said Bruce Ramsey, KYMCO USA Vice President for Sales and Marketing. “And it’s great to be associated with an up-and-coming driver of Danny O’Quinn’s stature, and the Mac Hill Motorsports team, which is located just up the road from us in Mooresville, NC.” O’Quinn won the Busch rookie award last year driving for the perennial NASCAR heavyweights at Roush Fenway Racing. This season Roush is permitting O’Quinn to drive a limited schedule for Mac Hill Motorsports, owner of the #56 Chevrolet, as well as two entries in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup series. The Mac Hill Motorsports team is owned by Jack McNelly, who says he’s very pleased to have KYMCO USA on board for the Bristol Race. “We’re going to give them the biggest bang for their buck we can,” McNelly said. “Building a relationship, that’s what it’s all about.” Racing at Bristol is a homecoming of sorts for McNelly’s driver. Danny O’Quinn was born in nearby Coeburn, Virginia. He’s still a young driver who won’t turn 22 until May, but, in addition to being last year’s Busch rookie of the year, he also won big on the ARCA and USAR Hooters Pro Cup circuits. The half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway has long been one of the most popular tracks in NASCAR. Its steep 36-degree banking makes for a lot of “swapping paint” in action that has drawn comparisons to being stuck in a washing machine. As the #56 KYMCO USA Chevrolet’s owner, Jack McNelly, puts it, “If you come home from Bristol and you’re not marked up a bit then you didn’t run very good.” For more about Mac Hill Motorsports, see machillmotorsports.com. For more information on Danny O’Quinn Jr., visit dannyoquinn.com. About KYMCO USA KYMCO’s roots in the motorsports industry goes back to its founding in 1963, as the Kwang Yang Motor Company, Ltd., with headquarters in Taiwan. Long a leader in quality, fuel economy, and versatility, today KYMCO manufactures motor scooters, motorcycles, and ATVs at five plants in Asia, including the main facility in the city of Kaohsiung. KYMCO is the largest scooter manufacturer in Taiwan, and currently exports to 74 countries worldwide. All KYMCO plants use the latest technology for the engineering and production of reliable engine, chassis, and other components. Since 2004, KYMCO has been officially accredited for ISO-9001 quality in manufacturing, KYMCO is committed to maximum customer satisfaction and constant innovation, making use of the most advanced CAD/CAE tools to bring superior engineering and design to their products. The company’s partner in the United States is KYMCO USA, with headquarters, marketing, and distribution centered in Inman, South Carolina. KYMCO USA is dedicated to building the brand’s reputation and market share through superior value, frequent new product introductions, strategic industry partnerships, and excellence in dealer network support. KYMCO USA has a reputation and expertise gained through over 30 years in the U.S. powersports industry.