Nintendo of America announced Wednesday that it would sponsor motocross bike rider "Flyin' Brian" Mason. The 20-year-old Mason is a long-time fan of the company's original Excitebike video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), and he will ride his last five races for the motocross season under sponsorship by Nintendo of America to promote the upcoming Excitebike 64. "Excitebike is one of the reasons I started riding, so it's unreal to have Nintendo as a sponsor," says Brian Mason. "Excitebike 64 has triple jumps and huge air - just like racing on the circuit - only the crashes don't hurt!"

　　As part of the sponsorship, Mason will make appearances at local game retail outlets in Chicago, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Dallas. He will talk about his experiences on the racing circuit and comment on Excitebike 64.

　　"This is a great opportunity for both Brian and Nintendo," says George Harrison, Nintendo's vice president of advertising and corporate communications. "Brian's ready to take it to the next level in the same way Excitebike 64 sets new standards in four-player action and custom track design."

　　Nintendo plans to release Excitebike 64 on May 1. For details, see the link to the right.