OUTBACK EXPANDS SPORTS PRESENCE, CLAIMS A STEAK IN NASCAR

          Outback Steakhouse has inked a three-year deal,
     "believed to be worth about $200,000 annually," to title
     sponsor Phoenix Int'l Raceway's first NASCAR Busch Grand
     National (BGN) event scheduled for November 6, according to
     Mark Armijo of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC.  Outback Manager of
     Advertising & Marketing Barry Siegel: "We've been looking at
     NASCAR for a while.  We just feel there's a definite synergy
     between the Outback Steakhouse guest and the NASCAR fan." 
     Pepsi and Carquest Auto Parts were also "potential" title
     sponsors of the race (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/9).  In St. Pete,
     Tim Buckley writes, "By tapping into the NASCAR market,
     Outback exposes itself to a fan base quite compatible with
     its clientele" (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 6/10).