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Rusty Wallace Teams Up With Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 With GPS Locator to Share His Tips and Tricks of the Road


WEBWIRE

Retired NASCAR driver and premier series champion adds King of the Road Trip to his list of titles.

MOORESVILLE, N.C., and REDMOND, Wash. — March 29, 2006 — Rusty Wallace and Microsoft® Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS Locator are teaming up to help families embark on successful and stress-free road trips this spring and summer. While Wallace hung up his racing helmet at the end of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season, he has hardly put it in park. After driving around in circles for over 20 years, Wallace is now helping travelers explore the open road with a wealth of road trip tips and tricks. From planning ahead with a trip-planning tool like Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS Locator to taking the time to enjoy the interesting stops along the way, Wallace’s tips — available at http://www.microsoft.com/streets/rustywallace — will help ensure that everyone in the car enjoys the ride this travel season.

Road trips account for 80 percent of leisure travel in the United States, 1 resulting in thousands of families hitting the roads to enjoy the journey, not just the destination. While the road trip experience is a rite of passage for many, it can be a stressful experience, especially when you add kids to the mix. However, with a little planning, creativity and preparation, road trips can be a cherished experience for all, and families will have the upper hand with advice from a pro like Wallace.

“I have spent 33 years racing professionally and have enjoyed every minute behind the wheel,” said Wallace. “Microsoft believes all travelers should have just as much enjoyment on the road as I have, and has developed Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS Locator to make that possible. It’s exciting to work with a company that approaches the road trip experience the same way I look at racing — with excitement.”

“Rusty Wallace embodies the spirit of the great American road trip, and we are delighted to be working with him,” said Helen Chiang, product manager for Microsoft Streets & Trips. “We look forward to helping families develop road trips they will never forget.”

Your Personal Pit Crew

Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 with GPS Locator is the latest version of the best-selling2 mapping and travel planning software for the United States and Canada.2 The new version of the software is the perfect companion for any trip and includes the following:
• Customizable maps with more than 1.8 million points of interest, from ATMs and gas stations to movie theaters and historic monuments
• The power and versatility of real-time, Voice-Prompted Directions that will serve as a navigator when travelers need a little help getting to the destination
• Reroute from Here technology to help travelers easily recalculate the route from a current location

About Rusty Wallace, Inc.

Rusty Wallace, Inc. (RWI) was founded in the early 1980s from very humble beginnings; as Rusty’s driving career progressed so did RWI. RWI has expanded operations in licensing and retail auto sales, including the Rusty Wallace Family of Dealerships. This group encompasses five new car dealerships throughout eastern Tennessee. As RWI has expanded, many new exciting projects have emerged including the creation of the Iowa Speedway, scheduled to open in mid-2006, the track will incorporate the latest competition and safety features to create on the best fan and competitor experiences in all of auto racing. In addition, Wallace has ventured into broadcasting, becoming the lead auto racing analyst for ESPN and ABC Sports. RWI continues to grow, expanding into new business areas and budding a new generation of leadership. Miller Lite, Dodge Motorsports, Comcast Spotlight, USG, Visa, Breitling/Fink’s Jewelers, Callaway Golf, Bell Helicopters, Carnival Fun Ships, and Microsoft proudly sponsor Rusty Wallace, Inc. For more on Rusty Wallace, Inc., please visit www.rustywallace.com.

About Microsoft Home Retail Division

Microsoft Home Retail Division (HRD) is a leading publisher of home software for the PC. Celebrating Microsoft’s 20 years of delivering products that help consumers accomplish and enjoy everyday tasks, HRD brings consumers Microsoft Encarta®, the industry’s best-selling encyclopedia brand2; Microsoft Digital Image products, which combine advanced photo-editing features and unmatched organizational tools with unparalleled ease of use; Microsoft Money, easy-to-use personal finance management software; Streets & Trips, Microsoft’s all-in-one mapping solution with points of interest, routes, driving directions and Pocket PC compatibility in one value-priced software package; and Microsoft Works Suite, the best-selling3 integrated home productivity software that offers six of the latest essential home software titles in one package for tremendous value. Used with the MSN® network of Internet services, these products have a unique depth and mobility that allow consumers to take their PC experience even further. More information about the Home Retail Division product lineup is available at http://www.microsoft.com/discover. Press information can be found at http://www.hrdpresskit.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

1 Source: U.S. Department of Transportation

2 Source: The NPD Group/NPD Techworld®, March 1999–July 2005. Based on total U.S. retail sales.

3Source: NPD Techworld, May 1993–2005, based on total U.S. retail sales.

Microsoft, Encarta and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.



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