LEXINGTON , Ohio , June 20, 2008 – Each race weekend motorsports gives so much to those involved as both participants and as fans. Saturday’s EMCO Gears Classic will give one prominent Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series team owner the chance to give back to the sport. In fact, for Steve Southard the seventh race of the season for the No. 3 Southard Motorsports Lexus-Riley Daytona Prototype (DP) - owned by Steve and his wife Martha – is the opportunity to give back for a lifetime of opportunities. Southard Motorsports will welcome a group from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (www.DaveThomasFoundation.org) at the Lexington-area track on Saturday. The Dave Thomas Foundation was founded by former Wendy’s Restaurant founder Dave Thomas with the mission to “dramatically increase the number of adoptions of waiting children in North America”. Like Thomas, Steve Southard is an adopted child that went on to accomplish great things through the love and support of his adopted family. Southard is a successful automotive industry entrepreneur and has participated in motorsports first as a successful amateur, then professional driver since 1972. In 2003, he stepped out of the car to focus on duties as a team owner.

“The relationship Martha and I have with The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is really special for us,” offered Steve Southard. “I was an adopted child and Martha had a nephew that was adopted. We view this weekend as one way of giving back to the community. If we can raise the awareness for child adoptions and one child gets adopted due to our efforts, then we have been successful. ”

The Mid-Ohio event, which is within an hour of the Southard’s shop and home in Powell, is the highlight event each year for the team and its longtime association with the Dave Thomas Foundation. In 2008, over 100 guests of Southard Motorsports will include the staff of the Foundation, adopting families of Ohio and members of the Wendy's International, Inc. (NYSE: WEN) family. The guests will have the opportunity to meet Southard Motorsports team members including drivers Bill Lester ( Atlanta ) and Shane Lewis (Jupiter, Fla. ) prior to the 5 PM (ET) start of the 250 mile race. The group will also be heavily involved in the event itself holding the starting position poles on the grid before the race.

“ We are honored to work with Steve and Martha Southard,” commented Rita L. Soronen, Executive Director of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “ They bring a personal passion to the cause of foster care adoption and incredible energy to assuring greater community visibility for the children we serve.”

While this weekend’s event is the most visible aspect of the commitment Southard Motorsports has towards the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, it is not the only facet of Southard Motorsports’ commitment to this great organization. Beyond several personal commitments by the Southards and their team, the red, white and blue No. 3 has carried the Foundation logo at each event this year.

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a non-profit 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to dramatically increasing the adoptions of the more than 150,000 children in North America ’s foster care systems ready to be adopted. Created by Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas who was adopted as a child, the Foundation leads programs such as Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, which puts adoption recruiters in all 50 states and Canada to find permanent, loving families for children in the foster care system, and Adoption-Friendly Workplace, which encourages employers to offer adoption benefits to their employees. The Foundation also works with adoption advocates and officials to streamline the adoption process and make adoption more affordable for families. As the only Foundation dedicated exclusively to foster care adoption, it is driven by its founder’s simple value: Do what’s best for the child. To learn more about the Foundation’s work, please visit www.DaveThomasFoundationforAdoption.org.

For further information about the drivers, sponsor, and team, visit the following links:

Southard Motorsports  http://www.southardmotorsports.com
Grand-Am Rolex Series  http://www.grandamerican.com
Shane Lewis  http://www.shanelewis.com
Bill Lester  http://www.billlester.com