Before the green flag drops to start this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, one pit crew performance will stand head and shoulders above the rest – literally. Seven-foot, six-inch international basketball star Yao Ming and two-time U.S. Olympic taekwondo gold medalist Steven Lopez will be introduced to the world of NASCAR as honorary pit crew members for Kyle Petty’s #45 Coca-Cola team – including the opportunity to join the crew in conducting simulated pit stops. In return, the two Olympians will give members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family a glimpse into their world – with Yao challenging some of NASCAR’s top stars at basketball and Lopez teaching Taekwondo moves to a few drivers. Yao and Lopez will be on hand to mark the launch of Coca-Cola’s new summer program celebrating the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, which invites fans to “Connect With the World Over a Coke.” The program features a series of limited edition, Olympic-themed collectible cans bearing the iconic Coca-Cola logo in different languages. The five different cans highlight the languages of Ethiopia, Russia, Thailand, the U.S. and China, giving Americans a “taste” of how Coca-Cola is recognized around the world. With new designs appearing every few weeks, the cans mark the first appearance of the Coca-Cola script in different languages in the U.S.(Fast Horse PR)(5-24-2008)
