Casino Revs Up with Hot Rod Legend

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. announced today that the company signed an agreement with legendary hot rod builder Boyd Coddington to create an original custom car from a 1940 Ford Woodie owned by the Isle. The Woodie build will be featured on Discovery Channel's American Hot Rod, as well as appearances by Boyd and Jo Coddington at select Isle of Capri Casinos properties throughout 2006.

From Ertl diecast cars and Boyd Coddington remote control cars to celebrity rides -- Coddington crafted "CadZZilla" for ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and a 1934 Ford coupe for Van Halen's Michael Anthony -- Coddington's legendary designs are as mainstream as they are creative.

"Being featured on Boyd's show allows the Isle brand to breakthrough the clutter of commercial television reaching directly to our core demographic in a fun, unique manner. This arrangement will also allow our guests the ability to meet the legendary Boyd Coddington up close and personal," Les McMackin, Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., senior vice president of marketing, said.

In 1966, Coddington began building hot rods by day, working as a machinist by night. It wasn't long before he became renowned for crafting the most celebrated rods in the world. His first official customer was Vern Luce, for whom Boyd built a '33 coupe that would later win the Al Slonaker Award at the 1981 Oakland Roadster Show. As time went by and awards (including seven wins for America's Most Beautiful Roadster at the annual Grand National Roadster Show) rolled in, Coddington's customer list grew to finally include Isle of Capri Casinos.

The tentative appearance schedule includes: Kansas City, Mo. on June 24; Boonville, Mo. on June 25; Natchez, Miss. on Aug. 12; Black Hawk, Colo. on Aug. 19; Bettendorf, Iowa on Sept. 24; Biloxi, M

2006-06-15