Ron P

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


ESPN TO TELEVISE POWERBOAT 'RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE';
CITGO SPONSORS 1,100-MILE VENEZUELAN RIVER RACE


BRISTOL, Conn. (Sept. 15, 2004) -- Formula One World Champions Mike Seebold
and Nigel Hook are no strangers to endurance powerboat racing, but put these
two multi-championship winners on the world's third largest river for eight
days, add course obstacles like crocodiles, piranha and anacondas, throw in
a cheering section of howler monkeys and macaws and you've got a world class
rumble in the jungles of Venezuela that will be televised on ESPN on
December 19 from 4 - 5 p.m. ET.

The CITGO-sponsored Nuestros Ríos Son Navegables was held Aug. 28-Sept. 4,
2004 in Venezuela, more specifically in more than a dozen of rivers
including the famous Orinoco River, which originates along the southern
borders of Venezuela and Brazil. The 1,100-mile race features Seebold and
Hook in their high performance race boats competing against 120 other
challengers, including 30 other high performance race boat pilots from
around the world.

"We believe that sponsoring Nuestros Ríos Son Navegables and getting ESPN
through the adventure of producing this TV show will certainly take this
unique rally to the next level and project the beauty of Venezuelan grass
lands and rain forests" said Antonio Rivero, CITGO Executive Vice President.

The event was the brainchild of two adventuresome Venezuelans 30 years ago
who wanted to prove that the rivers of their native country were navigable.
Navigation challenges for the competitors included swirling rapids, sandy
islands, shifting channels and extreme tidal action. At times, the race
resembled a floating party, with overnight stops that included a bikini
contest. But as the telecast will show, the final 65-mile sprint to the
finish on the final day of competition was no party for any of the
competitors or their crews....and neither was the challenge of keeping the
high-maintenance machinery in tune throughout the grueling eight-day race.

"We had our share of teething problems with the new rig and it was a
challenge to keep the crew focused through that, but the biggest challenge
by far was the navigation," said Hook, who currently holds the endurance
record for racing from San Francisco to Los Angeles in six hours, 45
minutes. "Luckily we had a Venezuelan navigator, or we'd still be out
there!"

Hook noted that the best part of the event was "the welcome, friendship and
warmth of the Venezuelan people, who made us feel like brothers. We'll
definitely be back next year."

CITGO, the official sponsor of the eight-day endurance race on Venezuela's
rivers, also sponsors Venezuelan Champion Racecar driver Milka Duno in the
Grand Am Series. Duno was the first woman in history to race in the LMP 900
class in the 2002 ALMS Championship. She is the first Latina to win a major
international sports car race, the Grand Am Rolex Series' Grand Prix of
Miami last March.

Hauling Trash

Mike Seebold came in 2 and Nigel came in 3 , There where over 130 boats in the race.

Mike Seebold also is the Driver for the Rio Roses V-71.

Mike

georges

ttt

Ron P

Today on ESPN at 4pm EST.

R Addiction

Time to set up the vcr again...Comcast has a "TIVO like" option I'm gonna check out anybody have it yet?

Thanks Ron!!

GLH

Thanks for the heads up Ron.

SK-190

What type of boats did they run in that race?

McGary911

TTT, on right now.......pretty cool!

Rik

With all due respect, at least the television is far better than the magazine articles in both Powerboat Mag and PKA Mag as both publications never even mentioned the winner of the race??

One never even showed a picture of the winning boat!

GLH

Let's see... Venezuela in summer??? about 140* out and humid as sh!t