Sony continues with Penske.

After appearing mainly as associate sponsors on the sides of the No.12 Penske Racing Ford Taurus last season, electronics company Sony will continue to back the 'new' No.12 team of rookie Ryan Newman with its FT Trinitron WEGA branding.

After the closure of the Penske South Racing No.12 team formerly driven by Jeremy Mayfield and most recently Mike Wallace and the departure of primary sponsor Mobil 1 at the end of 2001, Roger Penske's 02 outfit metamorphosed into the 12 team for 2002 with driver Ryan Newman and sponsor Alltel. However the team will also receive additional funding once again from previous associate sponsors of the 'old' 12 squad, Sony.

Newman?s Ford Taurus will carry the FD Trinitron(R) WEGA(R) television branding on its lower rear quarter panel, while another unit of Sony consumer digital photo printers, will join the fold and adorn the rear decklid with a Print By Sony logo.

Entering the second year of this sponsorship, Sony?s relationship with Penske Racing will once again include a special race during the 2002 season where the car will feature a paint scheme highlighting the Sony FD Trinitron WEGA and Print By Sony logos.

"With the continuation of Sony?s associate sponsor relationship with Penske Racing, both companies can further build on the business base established in 2001. We are excited about the expanding opportunity to aid Sony in promoting its WEGA and Print by Sony brands to the knowledgeable consumers who comprise the NASCAR Winston Cup audience," said Walt Czarnecki, executive vice president of Penske Corporation Worldwide.

Newman, 24, is coming off a very successful 2001 season where he split time between the Winston Cup, Busch, and ARCA Series? circuits. In 24 combined starts, Newman scored two wins, eight poles, five top-five, and 11 top-ten finishes. Winston Cup highlights included a close second at the Kansas Speedway in September to eventual Champion Jeff Gordon and a lucrative pole position for the famed Coca Cola 600 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

Newman, who will team with 1989 NWC Champion Rusty Wallace in the more streamlined Penske effort, is set to battle head to head with Jeff Gordon's latest prot?g?, Ricky Hendrick for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honours.

"We're looking forward to a very memorable 2002, and the addition of Sony Wega and Print by Sony to ALLTEL and our Penske Racing South family adds to that excitement," Newman said. "As a young team, we depend on the support we receive from our sponsors and the addition of Sony will only add to our success as we look toward our first Winston Cup season and the Rookie of the Year campaign."

"Winston Cup racing has provided a great platform for Sony to showcase its high-performance line of WEGA televisions," said Tim Alessi, television-marketing director for Sony Electronics. "Our partnership with Penske has been very successful and we look forward to a thrilling 2002 season with Ryan behind the wheel."