Concord, NC — By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director

National Interstate Insurance Company (NIIC), a leading provider of transportation insurance products for specialty personal and commercial markets, has signed as a major sponsor of World of Outlaws dirt-track racing.

The Richfield, Ohio-based company will administer sponsorship programs with the World of Outlaws Late Models and Sprint Cars, highlighted by its title sponsorship of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Speedweek that visits three Ohio tracks and one Indiana oval from July 25-28.

“We’re honored that National Interstate Insurance Company has chosen to make its entry into the dirt-track racing industry by partnering with the World of Outlaws,” said Tim Christman, the director of the WoO LMS. “The company is planning an aggressive marketing program with the World of Outlaws to build awareness of its products.”

“This is a sponsorship program that will have great benefits for the teams, the series and the racetracks. National Interstate Insurance Company will be distributing thousands of dollars to the teams over the course of the season and will also help with the promotion of the series and the racetracks we visit.”

National Interstate Insurance’s association with the World of Outlaws began with the May 31 Late Model Series event at Delaware International Speedway, where the National Interstate Insurance Fast-Time Award and NIIC ‘Fast Claims Payout’ Hard Luck Award were presented for the first time. NIIC will distribute $100 to the fastest qualifier in time trials and $50 to the night’s hard-luck driver (as determined by WoO LMS officials) at all remaining WoO LMS events in 2007.

In addition, the driver who registers the most National Interstate Insurance Fast-Time Awards during the 2007 WoO LMS season will receive a $1,000 bonus at the tour’s awards banquet.

National Interstate Insurance Company will also serve as the ‘presenting sponsor’ of the ‘Brad Doty Classic’ for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars on July 11 at Limaland Motorsports Park in Lima, Ohio, and the WoO LMS event on July 28 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio.

The company’s highest profile sponsorship will be the National Interstate Insurance World of Outlaws Late Model Series Speedweek, an inaugural mini-tour that is scheduled to compete on Wed., July 25, at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park; Thurs., July 26, at Lawrenceburg (Ind.) Speedway; Fri., July 27, at Tony Stewart’s famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio; and Sat., July 28, at Dave Blaney’s Sharon Speedway in eastern Ohio.

“We’re proud to be an Ohio-based company, so becoming the title sponsor of a World of Outlaws Late Model Series Speedweek that visits three Ohio tracks is a perfect fit for us,” said John Hollar, Vice President of National Interstate Insurance Company. “It’s a great way for us to support the many great Ohio Late Model drivers as they compete against the world-class drivers from the World of Outlaws.”

In that vein, NIIC will post $1,000 in bonuses for Ohio-based drivers or teams that race in the WoO LMS Speedweek shows. The three highest-finishing Ohio-based drivers or teams in each event will receive bonuses of $500, $300 and $200, respectively, for their efforts.

An additional $1,000 bonus will be presented to the Ohio-based driver or team that finishes highest in the four-race Speedweek point standings.

“Getting involved with the World of Outlaws is an excellent opportunity for National Interstate Insurance,” said Hollar. “Dirt-track racing just continues to grow, and we want to be part of that growth.

“We looked at numerous motorsports marketing options and, in the end, decided that working with the World of Outlaws would be the best value for us. It’s a thrilling series with great drivers and passionate fans, and that’s what we want to be associated with.

“Being part of the sport allows us to get in touch with so many racers and fans at the grassroots level that have demographics that fit our products. This relationship will also allow us to provide additional benefits and value to our partner agents.”

NIIC is planning many interactive marketing initiatives at the racetrack, including autograph sessions with World of Outlaws drivers and displays to directly connect with potential customers. The company will also launch a dedicated website – www.nationalinterstateracing.com – that promotes the World of Outlaws races, offers ticket giveaways for fans and “tells the story of why we’re involved in the sport,” said Jason Sinkovitz, a sales manager at National Interstate Insurance Company.

According to Hollar, being part of the World of Outlaws scene will help NIIC reach out to participants and fans who might be interested in the company’s insurance programs for Recreational Vehicles, watercraft, and commercial vehicles for small business owners.

“We’re very excited about promoting our RV insurance,” said Hollar. “Partnering with the World of Outlaws enables us to talk directly to the thousands of RV’ers who enjoy dirt-track racing.”

For more information on National Interstate Insurance, visit www.nationalinterstate.com or www.nationalinterstateracing.com.

National Interstate Corporation (Nasdaq: NATL), founded in 1989, completed an initial public offering in February 2005. We are a specialty property and casualty insurance company with a niche orientation and focus on the transportation industry. We differentiate ourselves within our markets by offering insurance products and services designed to meet the unique needs of targeted insurance buyers that we believe are underserved by the insurance industry. Our products include property and casualty insurance for transportation companies, captive insurance programs for commercial risks that we refer to as our alternative risk transfer component, specialty personal lines consisting primarily of recreational vehicle coverage, and transportation and general commercial insurance in Hawaii and Alaska. We offer our insurance products through multiple distribution channels including independent agents and brokers, affiliated agencies and agent Internet initiatives. Our insurance subsidiaries are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. National Interstate is an independently operated subsidiary of Great American Insurance Company, a property-casualty subsidiary of American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: AFG). The Company is headquartered in Richfield, Ohio, which is located in northeastern Ohio between Cleveland and Akron.