'Electrifying' End to Best Western's Annual 'Fan Swap' Charity Auction Generates a Final Bid of More Than $2,500

PHOENIX, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A key component for winning race cars is a high-performing electrical system and Michael Waltrip Racing team owner and professional driver Michael Waltrip will get a firsthand look at complex electrical hardware, when he travels to New Jersey to "swap" jobs with the winner of the third annual Best Western "Fan Swap" charity auction this fall.

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David Emery, the owner and operator of Powertronic, Inc, an electrical company he started in 1995 in Ocean, N.J., outbid race fans on eBay to earn this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to "swap" jobs with Waltrip for a day, as well as travel with the team to the races in Richmond, Va.

Emery posted a winning bid of $2,606, with proceeds from the charity auction benefiting World Vision, Best Western's official charity partner, dedicated to alleviating the causes of poverty and injustice among children and families around the world.

Best Western, the World's Largest Hotel Chain®, and Michael Waltrip Racing will send the auction winner to Cornelius, N.C. to experience the inner workings of owning a race team and all the work that goes into preparing for race weekend.

At Michael Waltrip Racing headquarters, he'll enjoy an exclusive tour of Waltrip's private office and pickup some official Michael Waltrip Racing gear. David will also be treated to an exclusive tour of the new NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, as well as a tour of Showtime's "Inside NASCAR" studios with Waltrip, the show's host.  Emery will also enjoy a lunch with Waltrip and driver David Reutimann before traveling with the entire race team to Richmond where he will stay at a Best Western hotel for the weekend and receive VIP treatment at the September 10th and 11th races.

"I've always thought running a race team would be similar to owning an electrical company because of the skill and precision it takes to work on intricate systems and hardware," said David Emery.  "I'm looking forward to working with Michael to see if what I've always believed is true when I join him in Cornelius for a day to learn everything there is to know about running his team."

For the second half of the "Fan Swap" charity auction, Waltrip will travel to Ocean, N.J. to learn more about David's business, Powertronic, Inc., which provides two primary electrical services, Industrial Control Panels and Electrical Field Services, to many Fortune 500 companies in the Tri-State area.  Once Waltrip completes the rigorous training program, he'll take his newly-obtained job skills into the field by providing highly skilled technical services to a series of companies in New Jersey.

"Fans always think my days are filled with fun and leisure activities, but the reality is that being a race team owner and driver means long hours to ensure success on and off the track," said Waltrip.  "Every year I've opened my office doors to Best Western 'Fan Swap' auction winners, and they've always walked out with a greater appreciation for my job and the sport as a whole.  I'm looking forward to showing this year's winner the ropes and then traveling to New Jersey to become an electrical engineer!"

For more information on Best Western Racing or to sign up for Best Western's Speed Rewards loyalty program, please visit www.bestwesternracing.com.

ABOUT BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Best Western International, Inc. is THE WORLD'S LARGEST HOTEL CHAIN®, providing marketing, reservations and operational support to over 4,000* independently owned and operated BEST WESTERN, BEST WESTERN PLUS™ and BEST WESTERN PREMIER® hotels in 80* countries and territories worldwide. An industry pioneer since 1946, Best Western has grown into an iconic brand that hosts 400,000* worldwide guests each night. Equally committed to the business and leisure traveler, Best Western recently embarked on a mission to lead the hotel industry in customer care. World Vision is the charity of choice for Best Western in building the world's largest family, with our hotels and staff sponsoring children in need around the globe. Our partnerships with AAA/CAA, Michael Waltrip Racing™ and Harley-Davidson® help guests make the most of every trip. For the fastest way to a free night globally, join Best Western Rewards®. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.bestwestern.com.

*Numbers are approximate and can fluctuate.

ABOUT MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING

MWR fields fulltime NASCAR Sprint Cup teams for Martin Truex Jr. and David Reutimann as well as a K&N Pro Series entry for Ryan Truex. MWR along with Gary and Blake Bechtel co-own Diamond-Waltrip Racing that fields a Nationwide entry for Trevor Bayne.

SOURCE Best Western International

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