TONY STEWART'S CUSTOM HEARSE ON DISPLAY
AT SpeedwayEXPO,
WILL CASTRO FROM SpeedTV's UNIQUE WHIPS TO APPEAR
While Tony Stewart is
racing in Vegas, his fans and auto enthusiasts will enjoy what “Smoke”
sent to SpeedwayEXPO presented by Sunoco on February 29-March 2. The
1984 Cadillac
Brougham hearse often referred to as one of Tony’s prize possessions
will be on display throughout the weekend.
The tricked-out hearse was restored and customized by Will
Castro’s Unique Autosports of Long Island for the Speed Channel show
Unique Whips. Castro will also appear at SpeedwayEXPO and sign
autographs from noon to 5:00 on Sunday, March 2.
The hearse, which Stewart bought “just to mess with people,”
is affectionately called "Smoke deVille." Acquired from a Cincinnati
funeral home, Stewart delivered the hearse to Castro in 2006 for a
five-month customization. The finished product includes murals, body
modifications and tons of interior accessories. Attendees at
SpeedwayEXPO will see the unique vehicle up close.
Will Castro is the founder and owner of Unique Autosports, a
leading automotive customizer. While still in high school, Will got a
taste of the car business while working at a body shop. That sparked him
to open Willie’s Shape & Shine, in Islip, New York, in the 1980s. The
business, and demand for his conversions, grew. He then formed Unique
Conversions and, in 1999, changed the name to Unique Autosports.
Unique’s first celebrity clients were Erick Sermon and
Parrish Smith and the rap pioneers EPMD. Word of Castro’s craftsmanship
quickly spread through the rap community and landed Hip-Hop artists like
Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Wyclef, Fat Joe and more. Castro’s client list
also includes Marc Anthony, John Singleton, Lebron James, Carmelo
Anthony, Marcus Camby, Jermaine O'Neal, Yao Ming, Pamela Anderson and
Tom Wolfe as well as many NASCAR, NFL and MLB stars. His work has been
featured on MTV Cribs, VH1, MTV2, ESPN, Fox, CBS and BET. His top-rated
show on SpeedTV, Unique Whips, draws more than a million viewers and
fans around the world.
SpeedwayEXPO ‘08 presented by Sunoco will take place February
29-March 2 in the Mallary Complex at the Eastern States Exposition
Center in West Springfield, MA. More than three acres of indoor space
will be dedicated to motorsports, including local and regional race
tracks and associations as well as vendors of performance parts, safety
equipment, accessories, apparel and memorabilia. In addition there will
be a full schedule of special events, racing seminars and activities
such as autograph sessions, the Pit Crew Challenge, pedal-car races for
the kids and a host of special vehicle displays like "Smoke deVille."
SpeedwayEXPO tickets are $15 for adults, children ages 10 and
under are free. Coupons worth $5 off EXPO admission are available at
participating Sunoco stations. For complete information on exhibits,
activities, schedules and driving directions, go to
speedwayexpo.com or call
978-465-9099.