Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day at University of California, Berkeley Proves a Success, to Become Annual Tradition

GARDENA, CA--Feb. 19, 2014: Carroll Shelby International (CSBI.PK), the parent company of Carroll Shelby Licensing and Shelby American, announced today that the first annual Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball, which was held on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, at Evans Diamond located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, was a success. It will become an annual event beginning in 2015.

“The Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day was a testament of the excitement that surrounds the Shelby brand”

“The Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day was a testament of the excitement that surrounds the Shelby brand,” said Ari Kopmar, executive vice president of consumer initiatives. “We successfully bridged America’s favorite performance car with America’s favorite past time in a way that’s never been done before. Not only was our reception strong among Shelby and Ford enthusiasts, but the support from the baseball fans and university students was tremendous. We’re excited about making the Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day an annual tradition.”

A special “Show and Shine” car exhibit was located outside the stadium and featured Shelby and Ford-powered cars owned by Team Shelby members and Ford enthusiasts from across northern California. Among the featured Ford Shelby Mustangs was Mark Lopez’s ’66 Shelby GT350, which has been owned by his family since they purchased it in 1967. It was originally sold by Shelby American to Competition Press, who then sold it to the Lopez family.

“I was a little apprehensive about hosting a Team Shelby event in conjunction with a college baseball game,” said Michael McGuirk, president of the California Team Shelby region. “However, Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day turned out to be a spectacular event that Shelby and baseball fans alike fully embraced. The Shelby and Ford ‘Show and Shine’ generated a lot of foot traffic and exposed the Shelby brand to a younger demographic. The support our Team Shelby chapter received from Carroll Shelby International was phenomenal.”

In addition to the “Show and Shine,” Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day was kick started with a special video presentation about Carroll Shelby and his contribution to American muscle car performance. Neil Cummings, co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International and a trustee for the Carroll Shelby Foundation, threw the opening pitch for the first double header game; Joe Conway, Co-CEO of Carroll Shelby International and CEO of Shelby American, threw the opening pitch for the second game. Shelby merchandise including apparel, die cast collectibles and remote control cars were used as prizes during the game. An animated race video featuring a Shelby Super Snake GT500, Shelby Daytona Coupe and Shelby Cobra was also created for the event and will be shown at games throughout the season.

Dates for the 2015 Carroll Shelby Cal Baseball Day are still being considered.