Lowe's Partners With Phoenix International Raceway to Bring Kobalt Tools 500 to Track in November

PHOENIX, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber announced today that Lowe's and Kobalt Tools have joined the track's team of corporate partners. As part of this new relationship, Kobalt will act as the official title sponsor for the track's November 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event: The Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100410/FL84383 )

"We're excited to bring the Kobalt Tools 500 to Phoenix this year to let race fans in the West experience Kobalt as the next generation of tough tools," said Tom Lamb, senior vice president of marketing and advertising at Lowe's. "Lowe's has been active in the Phoenix community for many years, so it was a natural fit to bring this race to our Kobalt fans in the Phoenix market."

Lowe's and Kobalt have seen their No. 48 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team make plenty of headlines in Phoenix. Four-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson – driver of the No. 48 Lowe's/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports – is a PIR record-holder with four Sprint Cup wins, including the last three November Sprint Cup events in Phoenix.

"We are thrilled to be working with Lowe's and Kobalt Tools for NASCAR's semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup here in Phoenix," Sperber said. "Trusted brands like Lowe's and Kobalt Tools line up perfectly with the quality of racing and overall quality of event that race fans have come to expect at PIR each November."

Although this is Lowe's first time sponsoring a Phoenix race, it has been supporting the Phoenix community for years. Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) have given more than $2 million in donations to education and community improvement projects in Arizona. Most recently, the LCEF gave a $50,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Phoenix to renovate its teen center.

Today, Kobalt and Lowe's Toolbox for Education program recognized the Metro Tech Vocational Institute of Phoenix as one of more than 400 schools across the country who is receiving a Kobalt tools package worth more than $1,100 to help prepare and educate the next generation of skilled trades professionals.  

As the Semi-Final Race in the Chase, the Kobalt Tools 500 will begin at 1 p.m. MST on Sunday, November 14, with television coverage provided by ESPN and radio coverage by the Motor Racing Network. Tickets for the Kobalt Tools 500 and all other events throughout NASCAR's Semi-Final Weekend at Phoenix International Raceway are available for purchase now at PhoenixRaceway.com.

Phoenix International Raceway's corporate partners include: Bashas' Supermarkets, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Ford, Gatorade, Hensley-Anheuser Busch, Kimberly-Clark Professional/WYPALL*, Lucas Oil, Sprint, SUBWAY, Toyota, Amkus, Banner Health, Beaudry RV, Crown Royal, F1 Race Factory, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, Manheim, New Holland North America, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Rhythm Liqueur, Safety-Kleen, ServiceMaster Clean, Southwest Ambulance, the Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sunoco, and UPS.

About Kobalt Tools

Kobalt Tools launched exclusively to Lowe's in 1998 as a line of mechanics tools. The brand has since extended to other types of tools and now has grown to more than 1,000 quality tools offered at affordable prices. Kobalt Tools, the Next Generation of Tough Tools, is one of the fastest-growing tool brands in the United States.  Every tool is designed and engineered to combine toughness and durability with the latest developments in comfort, balance and practical innovations. For more information, please visit KobaltTools.com or Lowes.com.

About Lowe's

With fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE® 50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,700 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.

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SOURCE Phoenix International Raceway