NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Al Larsen

Andretti Green Promotions

Office: (317) 872-2700

alan.larsen@andrettigreenracing.com

Contact: Farrukh Quraishi

Brock Communications

Office: (813) 961-8388

fquraishi@brockcomm.com

Contact: Henry Eshelman / Stephanie Molina B / W / R

310.248.6109; 310.248.6125

heshelman@bwr-la.com; smolina@bwr-la.com

ROCK LEGEND GENE SIMMONS NAMED GRAND MARSHAL OF 2006 HONDA GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (March 20, 2006) - Waving the checkered flag at this year's Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be entrepreneur and rock legend Gene Simmons, race officials announced today.

"We're very excited to announce Gene as the grand marshal of the 2006 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg," said Kevin Savoree, managing director, 2006 Honda Grand Prix for Andretti Green Promotions. "After meeting Gene earlier this year, his energy, passion and excitement for IndyCar racing was clearly evident. Having him in St. Petersburg should be a great thrill for all the fans and should bring an even greater buzz to our event."

Simmons, whose KISS brand has earned more gold records than any other American Group (RIAA, 2003) and procured more than 2,500 licenses, continues to gain traction with a broader fan base than ever before. Most recently, Simmons co-founded and developed worldwide and branding marketing company, Simmons Abramson Marketing alongside entertainment industry veteran, Richard Abramson. Best known for his role as Paul Reuben's manager, Abramson ultimately energized his portrayal of Pee-Wee Herman's character to a multi-million dollar end.

Actively engaging in the success and fine-tuned direction of the Indy Racing League, Simmons has established himself as a brand-marketing front-man, the likes the league has never seen before. The implementation of the 'I Am Indy' campaign, anchored by its signature song, 'I Am Indy,' co-authored by Simmons himselt and an up-and-coming band off his Simmons Records label, BAG, ejected the momentum for the newly-created marketing company and set a precedent with the first official theme song for a motor sports league.

"With 'I Am Indy' you're making a pledge of allegiance to the United Nations of INDY. The phrase knows no bounds - racial, sexual or otherwise. It applies to drivers, fans, sponsors," Simmons explains.

Simmons Abramson Marketing leverages myriad assets to broker deals on behalf of the IndyCar Series and effectively position the league as a competitive entertainment property to be reckoned with. The recent partnership solidified between NBA star Carmelo Anthony and Indy Racing League veteran Ron Hemelgarn of Hemelgarn-Racing to put rookie PJ Chesson behind the wheel for IndyCar exemplifies the purposeful eminence of Simmons Abramson Marketing.

"I'm perhaps the public persona of a really simple message: You should all be blessed because you're standing on hallowed ground," Simmons said. "This is the Indy, baby. These are the fastest cars on four wheels. We have rock stars and rockets. These cars will drive on the ceiling."

As the grand marshall of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, April 2, Simmons will carry forward a legacy grand in tradition.

Race-day ticket prices for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg start at $25 for adults and $10 for children under 12 with multi-day ticket packages starting from $45 for adults and $20 for children under 12. Tickets can be purchased by calilng the Honda Grand Prix box office at (727) 824-7223 (extension 225), by visiting the event's website at www.gpstpete.com or through Ticketmaster.

For more information on the 2006 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, please visit www.gpstpete.com

About  Simmons Abramson Marketing

Simmons co-founded KISS 32 years ago. KISS has broken box office records around the world set by Elvis and The Beatles, has more gold records than any other American band (RIAA, 2003), and for three decades continues to be the juggernaut of licensing and merchandising, with over 2,500 licenses. Abramson, in a nearly three-decade career, has distinguished himself as a savvy marketer, manager, film producer and innovative financier, waging marketing campaigns, for major studios such as Universal and Warner Bros. His management of Paul Reubens energized the actor's portrayal of Pee-wee Herman, developing the character into a multimillion dollar merchandising powerhouse through such movies as Pee-wee's Big Adventureand Big Top Pee-wee, as well as his producing role on the 22-time Emmy-winning children's series “Pee-Wee's Playhouse.” The Simmons Abramson union was birthed in 2001 at a pitch meeting for an MTV game show and is strengthened with every piece of new business. In addition to their deals, Simmons and Abramson started working last year as advisors to ITU Ventures, a Century City-based venture capital firm.

Andretti Green Promotions, LLC, is the promoter of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the second race in the 2006 IndyCar Series schedule. The 2006 season schedule includes 14 races on 11 ovals, two permanent road courses and St. Petersburg's 1.8-mile temporary street course. The event will be held March 31-April 2, 2006. Tickets range in price from $25 for adult single day general admission to $110 for a three-day, reserved seat pass and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (813) 287-8844. Tickets are also available by calling (727) 824-7223, ext. 225. For more information on the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, visit www.gpstpete.com.