DATE: May 13, 2008

CONTACT: Imtiaz Haque, (864) 656-5628
sih@clemson.edu

WRITER: Susan Polowczuk, (864) 656-2063
spolowc@clemson.edu

Dale Earnhardt Inc. announces scholarship winner

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s first Motorsports Innovation Partner, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) has announced its annual undergraduate scholarship winner. Casey Appleman of Davidsonville, Md., a rising senior majoring in mechanical engineering, received the Dale Earnhardt Motorsports Scholarship at a presentation at DEI headquarters in Mooresville, N.C.

“The Dale Earnhardt Motorsports Scholarship supports the education of deserving students like Casey," said Dick Baker, executive director of the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. “He is exactly the kind of motivated, talented individual who will continue the legend of Dale Earnhardt and have a great impact on the future of motorsports.”

"I am extremely excited and thankful that I was selected for the DEI scholarship,” Appleman said. “Pursuing a career in the motorsports industry has been a lifelong goal for me, and having a race team with the winning tradition of DEI partner with Clemson University to foster education and develop technical innovations is very exciting. I'd like to thank DEI and Clemson University for offering me this opportunity to pursue my dreams.”

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation funds the annual undergraduate scholarship honoring the memory of Dale Earnhardt Sr. for students interested in motorsports and automotive engineering. The Dale Earnhardt Foundation provides $13,000 annually for a total minimum pledge of $39,000 for a three-year undergraduate scholarship for a student in the College of Engineering and Science. Scholarship winners are eligible for internships. Appleman will begin a summer internship at DEI May 20.

Imtiaz Haque, chairman of Clemson’s mechanical engineering department, said the DEI partnership offers students a rare entrée into the motorsports industry.

"The Dale Earnhardt Inc. organization is a prime example of quality and commitment to excellence in the motorsports industry,” he said. “The combination of a scholarship and an internship means not only financial support but the opportunity for students to interact with and learn from the best the industry has to offer. We are grateful for their support.”

DEI Chief Executive Officer Teresa Earnhardt and Clemson University President James F. Barker signed a memorandum of understanding last year to create a formal research and higher education partnership.

END

Clemson is recognized as a leader in motorsports and automotive engineering education. Its undergraduate program in mechanical engineering offers students real-world experience through a competitive curriculum augmented by a cooperative education and internship program. Students also can compete in two automotive design competitions: SAE Mini-Baja and Formula SAE through the Society of Automotive Engineers. The Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus in Greenville offers master’s and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering and has unique research and testing resources.

CU-ICAR is a new model for economic development in South Carolina, matching Clemson’s strengths in automotive engineering with the state’s strong automotive economic cluster. Located in the heart of the Interstate 85 corridor midway between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga., CU-ICAR is ideally situated in the Southeastern automotive and motorsports economy.