NASCAR unveils new 'Thunder' theme music

LOS ANGELES -- Motor Music, a partnership between NASCAR and Cherry Lane Music Publishing, announces the unveiling of NASCAR's theme song, "Thunder." Composed by David Robidoux and mixed by Alan Meyerson, the NASCAR theme song, "Thunder" conveys the thrills, excitement and drama of NASCAR racing. This is the first time in the 56-year history of the sport that NASCAR will have branded theme music.

In addition to the NASCAR theme song, Motor Music has created an initial 15-CD library of instrumental and orchestral cues covering a wide variety of genres. The NASCAR theme and library are intended for domestic and international broadcasts -- NASCAR races are now broadcast in 115 countries -- including television, radio, online and new media avenues of delivery, as well as commercial recordings. They are the first installments in an ever expanding body of NASCAR music that will enhance the brand beyond sports programming.

The NASCAR theme song, "Thunder" will debut with the start of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It will be heard as a Nextel ring tone, within the 2004 season package of NASCAR IN CAR on IN DEMAND and during NASCAR 3-D: The IMAX Experience, a 3-D film debuting in approximately 60 IMAX theatres nationwide on March 12, 2004. The NASCAR theme song 'Thunder' will also be incorporated in each NASCAR race broadcast through the 2004 copyright end tags. The 46th annual Daytona 500 will be broadcast live on NBC beginning at Noon ET on Sunday, Feb 15.

Composer Robidoux is the recipient of multiple Emmys for Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition/Direction for each of the following critically acclaimed specials: Emmitt Smith: Run with History (ESPN), NFL Century -- In Their Own Words (ESPN), Unitas (HBO) and 75 Seasons: The Story of the National Football League. In addition to composing original music for national clients such as Reebok, Hasbro, Comcast, Harley Davidson and Staples, Robidoux composed the thematic branding for the NFL Network and the opening themes for its signature shows, NFL Total Access and NFL Films Presents.

Meyerson has 20 years of experience as a music producer and scoring mixer. His work can be heard in recent successful feature films such as The Last Samurai, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Italian Job, Pearl Harbor, Shrek, Mission Impossible II, Antz, Spy Kids and Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams, among many others.

Cherry Lane Music Publishing President, Aida Gurwicz states: "We are proud to inaugurate the 'sound of NASCAR' and to be a part of this new era in NASCAR's phenomenal success. 'Thunder,' Dave Robidoux's magnificent theme, is a powerful, emotional composition and will undoubtedly bring a heightened level of recognition to the brand."

"We are pleased to unveil the NASCAR theme song 'Thunder' through our television and new media partners at the start of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. The creation of theme music is just the first of many music services NASCAR will begin to offer to our partners to help brand and market the sport. Motor Music will help us introduce NASCAR to a wider audience by creating recognizable sounds and appropriate music," said Dick Glover, vice president of broadcasting and new media, NASCAR.

The NASCAR theme song as a ring tone will be available for download on the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Phone, the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Driver Series Phone and the Motorola i730 phone. NASCAR fans can visit the product display booth at the Nextel Experience the week of the 2004 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway to view the phones and hear the NASCAR theme song "Thunder".

Emmy Award-winning NASCAR IN CAR on IN DEMAND is the most advanced, multi-channel, season-long subscription package for digital cable that offers fans flag-to-flag in-car camera coverage for NASCAR Nextel Cup Series events. Subscribers to the 2004 package, which begins with the 2004 Daytona 500, will notice the incorporation of the NASCAR theme song into the custom-designed NASCAR IN CAR remote control during navigation among the in-car camera channels and the network race coverage.

NASCAR 3-D: The IMAX Experience film, which debuts on March 12, 2004, in approximately 60 IMAX theatres nationwide, highlights the technology, unparalleled competition and underlying physics behind the sport -- all in 3-D -- while showcasing the 75 million passionate fans who are devoted to NASCAR racing, the teams, sponsors and tracks. The NASCAR theme song will be incorporated into the closing credits of NASCAR 3-D: The IMAX Experience and will be made available separately through the release of the film soundtrack album.