DES MOINES, Iowa (July 2,  2007) – As previously announced, The Principal Financial Group®, the nation’s 401(k) leader¹ and premier benefits provider, will serve as primary sponsor of Mark Martin’s No. 01 Chevrolet during the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Daytona International Speedway, July 7, 2007.  The Principal® will also feature Mark Martin and his Nextel Cup rookie co-driver Regan Smith in a two minute vignette airing as part of TNT’s Wide Open format of the live event broadcast.

 

“We’re proud to have our brand associated with someone of Mark Martin’s talent, commitment and character.  Following his close second place finish in the Daytona 500, we are thrilled to support his return to Daytona International Speedway,” said Mary O’Keefe, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for the Principal Financial Group.

 

As a season-long associate sponsor of Ginn Racing’s three full-time Nextel Cup entries, Daytona marks the first of two Nextel Cup races where The Principal will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 01 Chevy.  Regan Smith will pilot the Principal Financial Group Chevrolet Sept.16, in the Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway. 

 

The Principal first joined Ginn Racing in August 2006 as an associate sponsor then increased its status in November to primary sponsor of Sterling Marlin’s No. 14 and Joe Nemechek’s No. 01 Chevys during the Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway.

 

“We are excited about having The Principal on board for the Daytona night race," said Martin. "The Principal Chevy is a good-looking race car and I know it’s going to look sharp under the lights. Hopefully we can come up with about three more feet and take the 01 car to Victory Lane.”

   

The U.S. Army, Martin’s and Smith’s primary sponsor for the balance of the 2007 Nextel Cup season, will have associate sponsor status on the 01 car in both Daytona and New Hampshire. 

 

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group? (The Principal ®)² is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals.  A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $270.1 billion in assets under management³ and serves some 17.6 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

 

About Ginn Racing

Founded in July 1996, Ginn Racing (formerly known as MB2 Motorsports) has grown from a single-car NASCAR Cup team in an 8,000-square-foot shop to a multicar operation, which is currently housed in a 158,000-square-foot shop in Mooresville, N.C. Ginn Racing's lineup in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series consists of the No. 01 Chevrolet that is co-driven by Mark Martin and rookie Regan Smith; the No. 13 Chevrolet, driven by Joe Nemechek; and the No. 14 Chevrolet, driven by Sterling Marlin. Ginn Racing also fields a part-time NASCAR Busch team with drivers Smith and Kraig Kinser plus a driver development program with Jesus Hernandez and motocross champion Ricky Carmichael. For more information about Ginn Racing visit the company’s web site at www.ginnracing.com.  

 

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1 The Principal ranks number one in plans among companies that provide both administrative and investment services – 2006 Spectrem Group analysis of fully bundled 401(k) providers.

2 "The Principal Financial Group" and “The Principal” are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

3 As of March 31, 2007