VASSARETTE SIGNS ENDORSEMENT DEAL
WITH NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK DRIVER TINA GORDON AND ThorSport RACING
Daytona Beach, FL , February 10, 2004 --- Vassarette a brand of VF Intimates, Inc., a division of VF Corporation, will be announcing today that it has signed a sponsorship agreement with ThorSport racing and Tina Gordon.
Effective immediately, Gordon will serve as a product spokesperson for the Vassarette brand, a leader in providing fashionable intimate apparel. She will make in-store and media appearances on behalf of the Vassarette brand, and the new Vassarette brand logo will be featured on her No. 13 Chevrolet Silverado truck.
Gordon, 33, will be introduced as the Vassarette brand spokesperson at a press conference today at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, site of the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on Friday, Feb. 13 (SPEED Channel 8:00 p.m.) Gordon will compete as part of the ThorSport Racing Team in the 2004 seasons first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Gordon will be doing personal appearances for the Vassarette brand throughout the season.
“Tina Gordon is a perfect fit for our product image,” says Art DeCesaro, V. P. and GMM of the Vassarette brand. “She has an all-American look, she is a fierce competitor in truck racing, and she has an admiring female following which is our target customer base.”
“I am very grateful to VF Intimates for their support of my racing career and am proud to represent a contemporary brand that I feel so comfortable wearing,” says Tina Gordon. “I'm looking forward to an exciting year with the Vassarette brand.”
In 2004, she will be one of only two female competitors to run the full season of 25 events in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Top tier NASCAR racing, primarily a male-driven sport, now has a woman with a mission behind the wheel of a Chevy truck. That mission is to become a principal competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
In just nine years, Gordon has climbed from the short tracks of east central Alabama to the fast tracks at Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta and Charlotte and has been successful at every stop along the way, impressing many on the ARCA and NASCAR circuits with her consistency and ability. Gordon resides in Cedar Bluff, Ala., with her husband Gary Gordon and their 12-year-old son, Seth.
“Tina Gordon represents the Vassarette brand’s ultimate consumer,” states Miles Bohannan, Director of Marketing for the Vassarette brand. “A consummate professional, she strives to be the best in her field without compromising the needs of her family. Our consumer will identify with her competitive spirit and her aspiration. Her fans love her determination and admire her drive to excel.”
There are more than 75 million NASCAR fans nationwide, according to NASCAR. “Over 40 percent of NASCAR's fan base is women,” Bohannan points out. “These can be Vassarette brand customers. Tina will be an exceptional spokesperson. She is competitive and successful in one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. Her visible association with the Vassarette brand will draw it into the winner’s circle.”
Vassarette is a brand of VF Intimates, Inc., a division of VF Corporation, which is the world’s largest apparel company and a leader in jeanswear, intimate apparel, sportswear, workwear and daypacks. Its principal brands include Lee ®, Wrangler®, Riders®, Rustler®, Vanity Fair®, Bestform®, Lily of France®, Lee Sport®, Nautica®, Earl Jean®, John Varvatos®, JanSport®, Eastpak®, The North Face® and Red Kap®.
