GRAND-AM and IHG Announce New Partnership

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- GRAND-AM Road Racing announced today that IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has been named the official hotel partner for GRAND-AM Road Racing beginning in 2012. This marks the first time the sanctioning body has had an official hotel partnership.

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IHG owns a portfolio of well-recognized and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations™, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®. IHG also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty program, Priority Club® Rewards with more than 61 million members worldwide.

"IHG is a fantastic addition to our growing family of official partners," said GRAND-AM CEO Ed Bennett. "This relationship will further strengthen IHG's connection within the world of premier sports car racing. It will also give GRAND-AM, our competitors, and partners a recognized standard of quality accommodations to call home during event weekends. IHG has properties in all of the markets where the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge races."

As the official hotel of GRAND-AM Road Racing, IHG will assist in securing rooms for the governing body, its racing teams and partners. Additionally fans will be able to book their lodging for races through the GRAND-AM website. Future plans also include identifying host hotels in each of the respective race markets. IHG looks to gain exposure for its upscale InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand through GRAND-AM's marketing channels.

"This partnership gives us the opportunity to raise awareness of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts among a dedicated fan base that aligns well with our target audience of upscale travelers," said Debbie Grant, director, Americas Brand Management, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts.

"We strive to offer rich, authentic experiences at our hotels, which is exactly what GRAND-AM does for its 20 million fans in the U.S. through premiere hands-on experiences and personal connections with drivers, teams and cars."

About GRAND-AM Road Racing

GRAND-AM Road Racing is the premier road racing organization in North America. GRAND-AM operates and sanctions the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Owned by NASCAR Holdings Inc., GRAND-AM is located in Daytona Beach, Fla. GRAND-AM delivers professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. For additional information, please visit www.grand-ammedia.com.

About InterContinental Hotels & Resorts

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has 171 hotels, located in more than 60 countries with local insight that comes from over 60 years of experience. At InterContinental we believe that superior, understated service and outstanding facilities are important, but what makes us truly different, is the genuine interest we show in our guests. Our desire is to help guests make the most of their time. We connect our well-travelled guests to what's special about a destination, by sharing our knowledge so they enjoy authentic experiences that will enrich their lives and broaden their outlook. For more information, visit www.intercontinental.com.

Notes:                       

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization operating seven hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites® . IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 61 million members worldwide.

IHG is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms and franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,500 hotels and more than 666,000 rooms in 100 countries and territories, with more than 1,100 hotels in its development pipeline. 

IHG is committed to gender balance throughout its business. We aspire to continue retaining a minimum of 25% female representation on the Board.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.priorityclub.com for more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest news, visit www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihgplc or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

SOURCE GRAND-AM Road Racing