2012 OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational Spectator Tickets on Sale Now

Limited Number of Spectator OPTIMA^® Invitational Tickets on Sale through Event Website

July 13, 2012 (MILWAUKEE) - OPTIMA^® Batteries today announced the sale of a limited number of spectator tickets for its fifth annual OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational presented by K&N Filters and Royal Purple. This marks only the second year where spectators have been permitted at the famed event. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting OPTIMA^® Invitational now through Friday, November 2, 2012 or until sold out.

The OPTIMA^® Invitational has grown into an international event in recent years with participants from as far as Norway traveling to Pahrump, Nevada for a chance at the OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car title. The event, which began as a way to showcase the power of aftermarket performance products and the SEMA Show vehicles that use them, now includes a series of qualifying events across the country and three one-hour long TV specials that air on the SPEEDTM channel.

New this year OPTIMA^® has enlisted the talent of entertainment and lifestyle host and producer, Amanda Salas to join popular host and automotive enthusiast, Bill Goldberg on the track as they give viewers a behind the scenes look at the action. OPTIMA^® is also pleased to announce the addition of four new sponsors to the Invitational for 2012, including presenting sponsor Royal Purple, race event sponsors Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and JRI Shocks, and associate sponsor Centerforce.

"Each year we continue to add new elements to keep things exciting for our fans and participants," said Cam Douglass, director of product development and marketing for OPTIMA^® Batteries. "It will be interesting to see how fans react at the Invitational this year after seeing some of the participants in the TV specials from this year's qualifying events. Maybe we'll even end up with cheering sections for different drivers."

Tickets for the 2012 OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational are $30 per person and include a free event t-shirt upon entrance. Spectators should visit 2012 OPTIMA^® Invitational to purchase tickets online prior to the event. The main OPTIMA^® Invitational race events will take place at Spring Mountain Motor Ranch, a state-of-the-art racing facility in Pahrump, Nevada on Saturday, November 3, 2012. By purchasing tickets fans will have a chance to join their favorite participants on-screen as the OPTIMA^® Invitational is filmed for its annual TV Special.

Spectators can expect to see dynamic street cars performing high-powered maneuvers as they participate in the BFGoodrich Hot Lap Challenge, Ridetech Autocross Challenge, Wilwood Disc Brakes Speed Stop Challenge and Lingenfelter Performance Design Challenge. The Detroit Speed and Engineering/JRI Shocks road rally will occur the previous day, following the close of the SEMA Show.

Sponsors of the 2012 OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational include presenting sponsors K&N Filters and Royal Purple; race event sponsors BFGoodrich, RideTech, Wilwood Disc Brakes, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, JRI Shocks and Detroit Speed and Engineering; and associate sponsors MagnaFlow, Centerforce and Roadster Shop. For more information on OPTIMA^® Ultimate Street Car Invitational, remaining regional qualifying events and to purchase tickets, please visit www.optimainvitational.com.

About OPTIMA^® Batteries

OPTIMA^® YellowTop^®, RedTop^® and BlueTop^® batteries are available through leading battery distributors globally. When looking for OPTIMA^® Batteries consumers should look for the unique, colored-top and SIX PACKTM design which OPTIMA^® is known throughout the world. In 2012, OPTIMA^® added to its product line with the innovative OPTIMA^® Chargers Digital 1200 Battery Charger for all automotive and marine batteries. To find out more information or purchase OPTIMA^® products consumers may visit www.optimabatteries.com. Consumers can also call 1-888-8OPTIMA (1-888-867-8462) for additional information.

OPTIMA^® Batteries are manufactured by Johnson Controls, Inc. Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI - News) is the global leader that brings ingenuity to the places where people live, work and travel. By integrating technologies, products and services, we create smart environments that redefine the relationships between people and their surroundings. Our team of more than 150,000 employees creates a more comfortable, safe and sustainable world through our products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and one million commercial buildings. Our commitment to sustainability drives our environmental stewardship, good corporate citizenship in our workplaces and communities, and the products and services we provide to customers. For additional information, please visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.