 Nashville, TN (SONY BMG MUSIC Entertainment) - Legendary country music group Diamond Rio has signed on to sponsor Willie Allen at the ARCA RE/MAX PFG Lester 150 this Saturday in Nashville. The two-time ACM and four-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year will release their Greatest Hits II album on May 9th courtesy of Arista Nashville. Allen, who will make his second ARCA run driving the No 75 Ford Taurus for Bob Schacht Motorsports is thrilled to have the supergroup as his primary sponsor. 'Diamond Rio has always been one of my favorite bands,' said Allen. 'I can't thank them enough for all of the support they have given me throughout my racing career.' Diamond Rio's Jimmy Olander likes Allen's chances on Saturday. 'We like to hang with winners,' said Olander. Willie Allen had a strong showing during the recent Nashville open testing and was able to get a good feel for the track. 'I love the Nashville Superspeedway,' said Allen. 'I really didn't know what to expect from the testing, but I was really surprised how smooth and how much grip the track had in it. I had a blast driving on the track.' Allen only ran about 40 laps on the superspeedway, but feels confident he will have a strong run. 'I feel very comfortable with the track and I feel great about Saturday's race. I believe with Bob Schacht's mentoring we will be very competitive.' Bob Schacht was very impressed with Allen's testing runs. 'I think testing with Willie went really well,' said Schacht. 'We made a few changes to the car that gave it more horsepower. I think we will have a really great shot at winning the race.' Allen is honored to race once again for Bob and his team. 'Bob Schacht Motorsports is a top notch team. They are such hard workers and will stop at nothing until the car is perfect.' Schacht says the great communication between he and Allen will be extremely beneficial during the race. 'Willie has a really good feel for the car. He gives me great feedback, we make the adjustments and we get faster and faster.' Allen agrees that communication is an advantage he and Schacht have. 'I feel that we communicate very well together and our extreme desire to win will be a combination that will put the Diamond Rio Ford Taurus up front.' The ARCA RE/MAX PFG Lester 150 will be broadcast live on SPEED on April 15, 2006 at 12:30 CST from the Nashville Superspeedway in Nashville, Tennessee.
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