Catchfence

MOORESVILLE, NC (July 27, 2009) – Braun Racing is pleased to announce that the No. 10 Toyota Camry will carry The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center as primary sponsor for the premier NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway. Kelly Bires will pilot the No. 10 for that event.

Bires, a Mauston, Wis.-native, has been on the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) scene since 2007, accumulating 61 career starts with two top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. In 2008, in his first full season of competition, he captured one top-five and six top-10 finishes before ending his season 13th in the championship point standings. Bires has competed in a limited number of events throughout the 2009 season and in eight starts has collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes.

The Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) has been a marketing partner of Braun Racing’s since 2005. Their logo has appeared on all of Braun Racing’s entries since that time and has helped draw awareness to many of the organization’s charitable efforts. This year, the FOE hopes to draw attention to their partnership with The University of Iowa to raise $25 million for The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center. The non-profit organization, with nearly one million members, has pledged five million dollars a year for five years to fund endowed chairs and fellowships for diabetes researchers, provide seed grants for innovative research, and help recruit leading scientists in diabetes research and translational medicine.

Bires is extremely excited to get back into the seat of Braun Racing’s No. 10 Camry and looks forward to representing the FOE.

“I’m proud to have the opportunity to represent the Fraternal Order of Eagles next weekend at Iowa Speedway and to assist them in promoting the Diabetes Research Center at The University of Iowa,” said Bires. “The Eagles nationwide have dedicated a lot of time and resources into this project. It is one that is going to help thousands of people who suffer from diabetes and I am honored to be a small part of that.”

The Fraternal Order of Eagles looks forward to seeing the FOE Diabetes Research Center on the track and hopes that it draws much awareness to the project.

”Our partnership with Braun Racing has grown over the years and we are very thankful to have their support to our cause of funding the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center,” said Grand Worthy President Mike Lagervall, Sr. “Between the diabetes featured car and our challenge to aeries throughout the country and Canada to spend this race day fundraising for our center, we’ll move one step closer to finding a cure for diabetes.”

About Braun Racing

Braun Racing is a leading team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that was handpicked three years ago by Toyota to help their entrance into the series. The team is credited with giving the manufacturer their first victory when Jason Leffler captured the win at O’Reilly Raceway Park in 2007. Founded by team owner Todd Braun in 2002, the team is in its seventh season of competition in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with drivers Jason Leffler in the No. 38 Great Clips Camry and Brian Vickers and additional talents sharing the driving duties of the No. 32 Dollar General Camry. The team also fields the No. 10 Beringer Camry on a limited basis with driver, David Reutimann, behind the wheel. Additional marketing partners of the team include Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF, New Balance, DEFT, OGIO, Northeastern Supply, SEM and Safety-Kleen.

About The Fraternal Order of Eagles

The Fraternal Order of Eagles is an international non-profit organization, which unites fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope. The F.O.E. was founded in 1898 by six theatre owners gathered in a Seattle shipyard to discuss a musician’s strike. After addressing the matter, they agreed to “bury the hatchet” and form “The Order of Good Things.” As numbers grew, members changed the name to “The Fraternal Order of Eagles.” Presently F.O.E. membership is nearly1 million, with more than 1,700 local aeries in the U.S. and Canada.. Among its many accomplishments the F.O.E. counts the founding of Mother’s Day, and esteemed members include seven former U.S. Presidents and NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Sam Hornish.

- Braun Racing Press Release