SPEED™ To Broadcast More Than 22 Hours From Barrett-jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction

SHELBY AMERICAN SUPERCHARGED MUSTANG GT 350 CONCEPT
AMONG THE CARS HIGHLIGHTED in ‘NO RESERVE’ AUCTION

LIVE COVERAGE BEGINS THURSDAY, APRIL 1 at NOON ET

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 – The eyes of the collector car world will focus their attention on south Florida as SPEED is set to broadcast more than 22 hours from the 8th annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event and ‘no reserve’ auction from the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, Fla. Live auction coverage begins Thursday, April 1 at Noon, E.T.

Bob Varsha, the Voice of Formula One on SPEED, once again heads the booth, and will be welcoming back the color commentary of Motor Trend Executive Editor Matt Stone, who was absent from the most recent Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale (Ariz.) with an unforeseen health ailment. On the auction block will be the familiar expertise of auto enthusiast Mike Joy, the Voice of NASCAR on FOX, and muscle car expert Steve Magnante. Rick DeBruhl will be previewing cars for SPEEDtv.com’s popular Hagerty Fantasy Bid game, while perusing the auction tents and lifestyle areas to find many of the great stories each event provides.

“We’re looking forward to another successful Palm Beach Barrett-Jackson auction,” said Rick Miner, SPEED SVP of Production & Network Operations. “In what has seemed like an eternal winter everywhere throughout the country, we’re hoping to see some of Palm Beach’s fantastic top-down collector cars roll across the block.

“We’re also happy to welcome Matt Stone back to the broadcast booth, and once again having our full team in place,” Miner added.

Among the highlighted cars to be sold at ‘no reserve’ during this year’s Palm Beach auction will be Shelby American’s 2011 Ford Mustang GT 350, serial number 350, a supercharged concept unveiled at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in January to honor the 45th anniversary of the first Shelby GT 350.

Also to cross the auction block will be Richard Childress Racing’s now famous ‘Ironhead’ Chevrolet Lumina the late Dale Earnhardt drove during the 1989 & 90 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons, which has been authenticated by then crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine. Another top-line car will be the ‘Project Silverback’ 1967 Camaro Pro Touring car, built on a custom-designed Chris Alston Chassis and outfitted with a 396-cubic-inch big block engine.

SPEEDtv.com is also going to be busy, providing multiple cameras from the Barrett-Jackson auction tent, along with viewer chats, collector car trivia and once again hosting the very popular Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game during the eight hours of live coverage on Saturday, April 3. The game offers the audience a chance to compete against each other in guessing the final ‘hammer’ prices prior to the cars crossing the block.

The grand prize for the Hagerty Fantasy Bid game will be a 46-inch wide screen 1080p LCD high-definition television along with a DVD home entertainment system for the player earning the most points throughout the entire bidding period. Additional prizes will also be awarded, as the first runner up will receive a 32-gigabyte iPAD and the second runner up takes home a portable GPS navigation system. Eight players will receive per car prizes, a 32-gigabyte iPod Touch.

Also during the live broadcasts, SPEEDtv.com will be streaming additional camera angles from the event, providing the audience a true ‘two-screen’ experience as the broadcast unfolds. Also during the event, viewers can test their collector car knowledge through the online trivia contest and live viewer chat sessions with the SPEED Barrett-Jackson broadcast team.

Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Coverage

2010 – Palm Beach, Fla.
(All Times Eastern)

Thursday, April 1
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Noon – 3 p.m. (Live)
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 8 p.m. – Midnight (Same Day Delay)

Friday, April 2
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event Noon – 7:30 p.m. (Live)

Saturday, April 3
Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event 11 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Live)
Hagerty Fantasy Bid Game 11 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (Live)

SPEED is the nation’s first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 79 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.

Media Contact

David Harris – SPEED – david.harris@speedtv.com, Office – 704.501.5796, Mobile – 704.756.9301