NASCAR Superstar Will Deliver Groceries With Fan For The Fifth Annual Best Western "Fan Swap"

PHOENIX, Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NASCAR legend Michael Waltrip knows how to deliver victories on the track, but now he'll hit the real road to deliver groceries with a lucky fan as part of the fifth annual Best Western "Fan Swap." Best Western International, THE WORLD'S BIGGEST HOTEL FAMILY®, announced that truck driver Brian Belanger has been chosen as the winner of the brand's annual "Fan Swap" contest. As part of his prize, famed NASCAR driver, owner, and announcer Michael Waltrip, will visit Belanger's hometown of Bristol, Conn., and help him do his job for a day.

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This is the first year the "Fan Swap" contest asked racing fans to nominate their "Travel Hero", a frequent business traveler who sacrifices time at home with family and friends to hit the road to make a living. Belanger was nominated by his wife Renee, who noted that her husband typically works 60 hours a week and spends two nights each week away from home.

In addition to the visit from Waltrip, the Belangers will also receive a $1,000 Best Western Travel Card to use on a much-deserved vacation. The card can be used at any of the more than 4,000* Best Western hotels worldwide.

"We weren't able to take a vacation last year, so we're excited to spend time together on a couple of different getaways this year," said Belanger.  "We plan to use the Best Western Travel Card for trips to Maine and Florida, and we'll also use it for a NASCAR race weekend trip somewhere."

Waltrip will visit Bristol on Wednesday, September 5, and report to Bozzuto's Inc., a wholesale food provider, to meet with Belanger and his co-workers, before heading out to make deliveries to local grocery stores.

"We've done some great stuff over the five years I've been involved with the Best Western 'Fan Swap' - from playing Mr. Mom to visiting a U.S. Naval Base – this year should be especially fun since I get to ride along with another real life road-warrior," said Waltrip. "I'm looking forward to having a great time with the Belangers and rewarding them for all the hard work and time on the road – something I know a lot about." 

ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Best Western International, Inc., headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., is a privately held hotel brand made up of more than 4,000* BEST WESTERN®, BEST WESTERN PLUS® and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in more than 100* countries and territories worldwide. Now celebrating 66 years of hospitality, Best Western welcomes hundreds of thousands of guests nightly. Best Western provides its hoteliers with global operational, sales, marketing and promotional support, and online and mobile booking capabilities. More than 15 million travelers are members of the brand's award-winning loyalty program Best Western Rewards®, one of the few programs in which members earn points that never expire and can be redeemed at any Best Western hotel worldwide. The brand's partnerships with AAA/CAA, racecar driver Michael Waltrip, and Harley-Davidson® provide travelers with exciting ways to interact with the brand. Best Western in 2011 was named AAA's and CAA's Hotel Partner of the Year and bestwestern.com was named the 2011 Compuware Best of the Web Gold award winner. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit bestwestern.com.

ABOUT MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING 

Michael Waltrip Racing, owned by Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman, fields Toyota Camrys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Martin Truex Jr. and No. 15 5-hour ENERGY driver Clint Bowyer. Waltrip, Mark Martin and Brian Vickers share driving duties in No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry. In 2007, MWR served as a flagship team for Toyota Racing Development, USA's entry into both Sprint Cup and Nationwide competition. MWR owns Sprint Cup victories at Charlotte in May 2009 and Chicago in 2010. For more information about Michael Waltrip Racing, please visit www.michaelwaltripracing.com . 

SOURCE Best Western International, Inc.