ATLANTA, May 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) will present one-of-a-kind, hand-painted Sam Bass trophies to the winners of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 and Nationwide Series Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway May 5 and 6.
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(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090423/CL03821LOGO )
This will be the third time Aaron's has contracted with renowned motorsports artist, Sam Bass of Concord, N.C., to design and produce a unique trophy that will be coveted by drivers and racing teams. Aaron's and Bass together developed this year's concept - the trophy will feature an image of the driver standing atop a custom painting of the winning car.
"Aaron's Dream Weekend at Talladega features some of the most exciting, exceptional racing seen in the sport, and we wanted to create a trophy that exemplifies this unique event," said Ken Butler, Chief Operating Officer of Aaron's, Inc. "Sam Bass consistently delivers original, matchless designs every driver dreams of putting in their trophy case, so he was the natural choice in designing this year's trophy."
Bass will begin his painting in Victory Lane at the close of the race and will be present with the winners when they receive their trophies. He will complete the process in his studio, then deliver and insert the painting into the trophy at the winning team's shop.
"I am honored that Aaron's has chosen me once again to design the winning trophies for such a prestigious event in the sport of racing," said Bass, NASCAR's first officially licensed artist. "This is truly an opportunity to combine my passion for both art and motorsports, and I'm especially looking forward to painting the winning moment live in Victory Lane."
Past Aaron's Dream Weekend at Talladega winners and recipients of Sam Bass trophies include Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. Aaron's 499 2010 winner Harvick said, "It's always a great feeling to win a race and add the trophy to your collection, but to be presented with a special one-of-a-kind trophy always adds a little extra special meaning. Sam does an amazing job creating his designs, that it's more of a piece of art than an actual trophy. To know you have a trophy of that caliber in your collection always makes it a little more special."
About Aaron's, Inc.
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, has more than 1,960 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur and current Chairman R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.
About Sam Bass
Sam Bass is the most accomplished artist and graphic designer in NASCAR. Since 1987, he has created race team graphics for corporate America's leading sponsors, NASCAR team owners and drivers. He is also known for his fine-art original paintings and a distinctive style when it comes to his design of track program covers, racing-themed ad campaigns, posters, apparel and custom shop guitars. His personal studio and motorsports art gallery in Concord, N.C., are adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. He is the first officially licensed artist of NASCAR. For more information, please call 704/455-6915, or log on to www.sambass.com.
SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.
