2.02.2006 ET

(CSRwire) ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2006--UPS (NYSE: UPS) today continued its commitment to helping NASCAR better reflect a changing workforce and fan base by awarding another five UPS Racing Technical Edge Scholarships.

The latest awards bring to more than $300,000 the financial assistance provided by UPS to minority students who want to attend the NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI). This class, for the first time since the scholarship's 2002 introduction, features five students with the same ethnic background of Hispanic origin.

"It's natural that UPS would see an increase in scholarship applications from aspiring Hispanic technicians," said Patrick Guilbert, UPS vice president of corporate sponsorship and events. "Research has shown significant gains in the Hispanic audience in recent years and that naturally leads to interest in getting involved in the sport."

The Hispanic audience also is expanding at a time when NASCAR is planning its second visit by the Busch series to Mexico City in early March. In addition to coordinating customs clearance and multiple convoys of NASCAR crews and equipment across the Mexican border, UPS will provide its UPS Trackside Services counter for critical last-minute deliveries to and from the controlled-access garage area via UPS Worldwide Express(R).

Candidates for the UPS Racing Technical Edge Scholarship must meet NTI admission criteria at its suburban Charlotte, N.C., location and must demonstrate automotive-related career goals and work experience as well as financial need. Designed as the premier training ground for NASCAR hopefuls, NTI is an extension of Arizona-based Universal Technical Institute and combines an automotive technology curriculum with NASCAR-specific coursework. The UPS Racing Technical Edge Scholarship program is administered by Scholarship America of St.
Peter, Minn.

The latest recipients receiving these UPS scholarships include:

Jason Corbett, Discovery Bay, Calif.

Corbett got hooked on NASCAR in the Army while stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., by watching races with other soldiers at weekend barbecues. Before joining NTI, the Army deployed Corbett overseas twice to complete general service work on diesel engines. He enjoys any engine work that builds horsepower and plans to take all available NTI NASCAR electives in preparation for joining a team.

Angel Hernandez, Warsaw, N.C.

Speed is the top priority for Hernandez, who has experience building engines for drag racing and holds a training certificate from The University of Texas in auto mechanics. NTI appealed to Hernandez because NASCAR is the place for learning about fast cars and he looks forward to applying his training to enhancing all-American muscle cars. Having already completed coursework in basic engines as well as basic and advanced electronics, Hernandez is going to learn how to put on the brakes next.

Gilbert Limon, Junction, Texas

An entrepreneur at heart, Limon started a competitive auto shop with his brother across the street from his old employer at age 18. The Limon brothers sold brakes, tires and oil changes in addition to topping off gasoline tanks before parting ways a couple years later. Limon feels there is nothing better than getting paid for what you like to do and is passionate about everything vintage -- from engines to fabrication to suspension. He is excited about applying NASCAR techniques to older vehicles and plans to keep his options open for opportunities in motorsports.

Victor Navarro, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Family friends got Navarro hooked early on drag racing and he remains fascinated with the variety of ways to adjust manual transmissions to improve performance. Navarro is currently proving his aptitude for heating and air conditioning diagnostics and repairs and appreciates the value of working with both older and newer technologies. A follower of NASCAR, Navarro has a particular respect for drivers who demonstrate on-the-field sportsmanship and off-the-field acts of charity.

Silverio Olvera, Jr., Waco, Texas

Olvera is a fan of all racing forms including NASCAR, drag racing and monster trucks and learned about cars by shadowing his father, an auto mechanic. He remembers the thrill of taking a modified car to competition and anticipates the application of NASCAR methods to future projects. Being part of the first wave of minorities to enter the NASCAR scene is exciting for Olvera because he feels this is just the beginning for making the sport more diverse and inclusive.

Last year, UPS expanded its motorsports diversity involvement with an additional $20,000 in scholarships awarded as part of the NASCAR College Tour. UPS again will join the tour this fall on visits to four campuses of historically black or Hispanic institutions to help judge the competition among student presentations.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., UPS is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services. Each day, the UPS pit crew of more than 407,000 dedicated employees delivers to more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Building on NASCAR's popularity and fan loyalty, UPS provides updated information about UPS Racing, the #88 team of Dale Jarrett and access to licensed merchandise at www.racing.ups.com.

Copyright Business Wire 2006

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