Third Annual Ralphs Race Fest Roars Into Irwindale Speedway

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Third Annual Ralphs Race Fest Roars Into Irwindale Speedway
    LOS ANGELES, April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Ralphs Grocery Company, California's
"first" supermarket chain, invites race fans of all ages to meet some of
NASCAR's biggest stars at the third annual Ralphs Race Fest on Thursday,
April 26 from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Irwindale Speedway.
    Ralphs Race Fest 2001 is an interactive, race-themed event featuring
numerous race simulators, drivers' show cars and exhibits.  This fun-filled
attraction offers race fans an opportunity to experience the thrills of NASCAR
racing first hand.
    "We received tremendous response to our first two race festivals and we
are pleased to bring the excitement of NASCAR to the communities we serve for
a third year," said Chuck Ackerman, senior vice president of sales and
marketing for Ralphs.
    More than a dozen NASCAR Winston Cup and Winston West drivers will be on
hand to welcome fans and sign autographs at Ralphs Race Fest 2001, including
Terry Labonte, John Andretti, Ricky Craven, Hut Stricklin, Jay Sauter,
Brett Bodine, Matt Kenseth, Rick Bickle and Mark Reed.
    Admission and parking for Ralphs Race Fest 2001 are free to all Ralphs
Club Card and Ralphs Senior Rewards Card members and their families.  Simply
present a Ralphs Club or Ralphs Senior Rewards card at the gate for free
admission.  Race fans without a Ralphs Club Card or Senior Rewards Card
(only Ralphs customers 60 years or older are eligible for the Senior Rewards
Card) may simply fill out an application form at any Ralphs supermarket in
Southern California and a card will be issued on the spot.
    "We have designed Ralphs Race Fest to be an exciting event for race fans
and their families to enjoy without the expense of purchasing expensive race
tickets," said Ackerman.  "We are bringing this great event to Southern
California as our way of saying 'thank you' to our customers for joining
Ralphs Club and our new Senior Rewards Club and for shopping at Ralphs."
    Ralphs Race Fest kicks off several days of exciting NASCAR events leading
up to this year's California 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Fontana's
California Speedway on April 29.
    In addition to Ralphs Race Fest, race fans also will be able to view
NASCAR show cars as well as have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a
NASCAR racing simulator and experience the thrills of racing from the driver's
perspective at selected Ralphs supermarkets throughout Southern California.
    Ralphs Grocery Company has a long history of involvement in professional
auto racing.  This season, Ralphs is a co-sponsor of veteran NASCAR driver
Brett Bodine's #4 Ford Taurus on the Winston Cup series.
    Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 and currently operates
446 conventional and warehouse style stores under the Ralphs (325), Food 4
Less (85), Foods Co (11), and Cala/Bell (20) banners in California, and Price
Rite (5) in Nevada, from its headquarters in Los Angeles.  The company is a
division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), the nation's largest food retailer
based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
SOURCE Ralphs Grocery Company
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/732950.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 732950
CONTACT:
Terry O'Neil, Manager, Corporate
Communications of Ralphs Grocery Company, 310-884-4680