NCATS: Bourque excited to race the Aaron’s Dream Machine in Edmonton

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (July 23, 2009) – Pierre Bourque is looking forward to this weekend’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race in Edmonton, Alberta. The driver of the No. 29 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge is one of 22 racers expected to compete in Saturday’s Canadian Tire 100; the sixth of 13 races on the 2009 NASCAR schedule.

Bourque has raced in Edmonton before and is confident that he can perform on the 14-turn, 1.973-mile temporary road course at the City Centre Airport.

“I’ve done well in Edmonton in the past and I know we will have a strong run on Saturday. Whitlock Motorsports has prepared a fantastic car for me to race and with the great support of Aaron’s and all their people, I feel like a Lucky Dog driving the Aaron’s Dream Machine in the NASCAR series this season.”

In addition to the race itself, Bourque is enthused about driving in Edmonton because the Rexall Edmonton Indy is one of Canada’s biggest motorsports events, drawing upwards of 160,000 (3-day total for 2008) to watch the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the IndyCar Series, the Firestone Indy Lights and the Northern Alberta Sports Car Club.

“There is just so much energy competing in front of the massive crowds in Edmonton,” said Bourque. “We meet so many passionate racing fans and that gives us the opportunity to let them know about Aaron’s and our work in support of Canada’s Military Families Fund (MFF). In addition to driving hard for Aaron’s, myself and my crew, we’re also working to raise money for the MFF and we’ll be donating all of our NASCAR Canadian Tire Series winnings in 2009 to that worthy program. I’d encourage everyone to stop by and say hello if they see us at the track.”

The Race: Practice sessions for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series cars are scheduled for 8:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. on Friday (July 24). Qualifying is slated for 5:00 p.m. The 32-lap Canadian Tire 100 will take the green flag at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 25. Watch the race on TSN on Sunday, August 9 at noon.

About Aaron's, Inc.: Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN and AAN.A), the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership, specialty retailing and rental of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances and accessories has more than 1,575 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.shopaarons.com.

About Pierre Bourque: During the week, Pierre Bourque is the man behind Bourque Newswatch (www.bourque.com) a website that goes deep behind the scenes of Canadian politics. Dubbed as “Canada's Online News Authority” it follows the movers and shakers of Canada’s political scene. On weekends, Bourque does some moving and shaking of his own, competing in car races in several series, including NASCAR, ARCA and Grand-Am. You can also follow Pierre’s Tweets at www.twitter.com/pierrebourque.

About the Military Families Fund: The Military Families Fund (MFF) is an agile and responsive organization that helps military families within hours of being advised of need. It assists with short-term emergencies and also provides long-term support. The MFF allows for several areas of support, including rehabilitation, education, financial assistance in the case of injury or death of a Canadian Forces member due to service, and urgent and extraordinary financial demands where the ability to provide family necessities is at risk. For more information or to donate, visit www.cfpsa.com.

About the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS) is Canada’s top motorsports tour. The 13-race series features events across Canada, from BC to Nova Scotia, with a combination of oval and road course events at the nation’s top facilities and race weekends. For more information, visit www.nascar.ca.