Orlando, FL— Matt Kenseth, who is currently among the leaders in NASCAR's Nextel Chase for the Cup, will be signing autographs and greeting potential Mooney customers at the company's NBAA Static Display on Wednesday, October 18. Kenseth, who drives a distinctive, black and yellow #17 Ford, will be at the Orlando Executive Airport site throughout the morning, along with a model of a Mooney Acclaim, the world’s fastest single piston engine airplane, similar to the one he recently bought. The popular driver signed a purchase agreement with Mooney at the annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
"The newest addition to the Mooney product family, the turbo-normalized Acclaim will cruise at 237 knots at 25,000 feet. It is equipped with the popular Garmin G1000 avionics suite which features two flat panel liquid crystal displays, a GDL69A weather uplink with XM satellite radio, a GTX 330 mode "S" transponder, and an STEC 55X autopilot. Premier Aircraft Sales of Fort Lauderdale, Florida helped Kenseth get together with Mooney officials and completed the deal following a meeting at Oshkosh.
Kenseth has won three times this season -- in February at the Auto Club 500 at the California Speedway, on June 4 in the Neighborhood Excellence 400 at Dover International Speedway, and on August 20 in the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. He finished fourth in Sunday's Chase for the NEXTEL Cup race at Talladega. A licensed private pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings, he also owns another single engine airplane and a pressurized twin which he has used to commute to NASCAR racing venues.
"Matt Kenseth freely admits he is attracted to speed in whatever form," explained Mooney Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Copeland. "That 'need for speed' has certainly been a positive force in making him one of racing's premier drivers. We're pleased he has decided to 'lead with speed' in his choice of a new airplane. He definitely has an appreciation for well-crafted, reliable high performance machines — which was a key factor in his interest in the Acclaim. It's great to have him join the Mooney family, and it's our hope that he enjoys flying his Mooney as much as his fans enjoy watching him win races. We're also looking forward to working with him to promote Mooney’s trio of ‘fast, faster, and fastest’ piston singles and we’re grateful that he has agreed to appear with us at this year's NBAA," Copeland added.
"We have been working with Matt for several months, demonstrating various Mooney models to him. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to show off all three of Mooney's airplanes when they were together at Oshkosh, especially since Wisconsin is Matt's home state. I think it's fitting that we were able to come to an agreement at EAA," said Earle Boyter, Premier’s Sales Representative.
"I'm really impressed with the Mooney Acclaim and the performance it offers," Kenseth said. "It's true that its speed caught my attention, but I am also impressed by its safety record, the attention to detail and workmanship that goes into each airplane, the tubular steel-reinforced cabin and the state-of-the-art navigational and communications package," he added.
Kenseth will continue the Chase for the Cup on October 22 at the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia.
About Mooney Airplane Company
Mooney Airplane Company, located in Kerrville, Texas, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mooney Aerospace Group, Ltd., a general aviation holding company that is publicly traded under symbol (OTC BB: MNYG.ob). Mooney Airplane Company currently sells three models of the M20, the highest performing, four-place single-engine piston-powered aircraft, now available with the Garmin G1000 glass panel display. Since its inception in 1946, the company has manufactured and delivered more than 11,000 aircraft worldwide. Today, 7,000 customers in the United States and 1,000 more overseas fly these proven, high-performance airplanes. For more information, visit www.mooney.com.
