In pursuit of a Guinness World Speed Record

1. MARCUS CULVERT Paraplegic Professional Drag Racer In pursuit of a Guinness World Speed Record

2. OVERVIEW If you “Google” Marcus Culvert Paraplegic Drag Racer, you will find that he is a man with a single purpose in mind… to set a Guinness World Record through his passion for drag racing. ¼ Mile Speed of 133.38

3. SPONSOR PARTNERSHIP APPEAL • Marcus Culvert is seeking a corporate sponsorship to assist him in attaining a Guinness World Record for the fastest drag racing speed attained by a paraplegic driver. The sponsorship commitment would involve the following: • Providing a race car to be used in pursuit of the record • The vehicle could be decaled as the sponsor sees fit • Providing a race site facility where the attempt would be made • Covering ancillary expenses during the record attempt • i.e. travel expenses, application fees, etc.

4. WORLD RECORD STATUS There are currently four drag racing-related records listed in the Guinness Book of World Records: John Force (USA) has won more drag races than any other driver, finishing first a record 132 times up to the end of the 2010 season. Ashley Force beat her father, John Force (both USA), in the National Hot Rod Association's Southern Nationals held at the Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia, on April 27, 2008, becoming the first woman to win a national Funny Car event. With the right corporate sponsorship, Marcus Culvert will be the holder of the fifth record: The highest terminal velocity car driven by a paraplegic driver, by Marcus Culvert The highest terminal velocity for a petrol-driven, piston-engined car (Pro Stock) is 341.92 km/h (212.46 mph), achieved by Greg Anderson (USA) at Concord, North Carolina USA, on March 27, 2010. Warren Johnson (USA, born July 7, 1943) became the oldest driver to win a POWERade Series event. He won three events in 2005, the last coming at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Denver, Colorado USA, at the age of 62 years, 9 days.

5. ABOUT MARCUS CULVERT • Content written by Caroline Brewer at The Record Perhaps there is nothing in a healthy person's life that could prepare him for an adulthood wracked by intense pain and heart-wrenching disability. Religious faith can help. Loving parents, family, and friends can cushion such a blow. But when all is said and done, a young man who lives hard and fast until he loses the use of his legs is left to figure out how to greet each day, and get the most out of it. By many accounts, 39-year-old Marcus Culvert, a musician who eight years ago was paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident, has done an admirable job of exactly that. "One thing that's allowed him to maintain himself is his self-determination," says friend and former band leader Al Lee. "He's gone through a great deal. He did a lot of suffering before he was able to see some better times. But he's persistent, and he did get grounded religiously." Even without functioning legs, he can still drag-race at local speedways (going a quarter-mile in 9.8 seconds at 134 mph) From the time his Uncle James (an auto mechanic) took him to the drag-racing track in English-town, he fell in love with speed demons. "As soon as I got there and heard that noise, I was hooked," he said. As a teen, he drag-raced on streets near JFK Airport. His uncle bought him his first hot rod, "a 1965 Chevy Impala S.S.," he recalls with a huge grin. And his Uncle Sam (a body shop owner), with his customized motorcycle, introduced him to the ecstasy of two-wheelers. In Japan, he yearned for a Kawasaki ZX7, and in due time got one. "It was black and red, with smoke silver, my favorite colors." One day after leaving a U.S. Army base where he worked part-time, a car ran a stop sign. Culvert was on his customized motorcycle, swerved, and was hit by a truck. He landed on his head. He credits a $400 helmet -- a gift he was wearing for the first time -- with saving his life. But it couldn't protect him from serious injuries. His chest cavity split. A lung collapsed. His spinal column fractured in four places. Three weeks later, he was air-lifted to a Seattle hospital. It took three months of love and prayers by his mother, Mary Ester Culvert, an Englewood beautician and spa owner, to help him pull through. He didn't want to survive, not to live as a paraplegic. Gradually, Culvert became grateful to his mother and to God that he lived. He had always been a compassionate person, he, his mother, and friends say. And when people reached out to him after the accident, that only reinforced his desire to reach out to others. The day after, news stations blared with calls for help to transport hospital staff and patients. Culvert had a specially-equipped Nissan sport utility vehicle, and saw his chance to be of service. "I can drive anything with wheels. I drove tractor-trailers, front-end loaders, auto-wreckers," he explained. Lopez says the peacefulness Culvert radiates in his determination to give back inspires her. "I admire his energy and his peace of mind," she says. "He doesn't give up. He's very, very determined." Culvert has slowed physically, but, still, he soars. It's just that now, his flights aren't just for self. "I think God is using me to touch other people's lives. I feel that's my purpose," he says. Marcus Culvert

6. CONTACT INFORMATION Marcus Culvert* 201-923-9004 unifiedracing@aol.com *Medical documentation of paraplegia is available upon request