Quaker State to Sponsor Inaugural Kentucky Speedway Sprint Cup Series Race

LAS VEGAS, March 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Quaker State®, the racing oil that has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success under the hood of Hendrick Motorsports cars, announced today it will be the title sponsor of the first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Kentucky Speedway. The Quaker State 400 will be held at the first new track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule since 2001.

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"The entire Quaker State team is very excited to be a part of this historic moment for NASCAR and Kentucky Speedway," said Chris Hayek, Quaker State Global Brand Manager. "We are very happy to be involved with what is sure to be a great race."

Quaker State will drop the green flag at the newly-expanded, 105,000-capacity Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) facility at 7:30 p.m., July 9. The 400-mile event will conclude a tripleheader NASCAR weekend that opens with a 225-mile Camping World Truck Series battle on July 7 and spotlights a 300-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series event on July 8.

"Our Quaker State sponsorship will ideally blend the brand's Sprint Cup Series past and present. Quaker State is among the most recognizable brands in motorsports and we're proud to be a new part of its rich NASCAR heritage," Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said.  

Twenty-nine-year Sprint Cup Series veteran and 40-time race winner Mark Martin will pilot the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet during the historic weekend.

"I think it's great that NASCAR continues to expand the tracks we race, and I am very proud to not only have Quaker State technology under the hood, but also the Quaker State logo on the hood of our car for the inaugural race at Kentucky Speedway," said Martin. "I'm looking forward to piloting the No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet to Victory Lane."

The Kentucky Speedway sponsorship is another opportunity for Quaker State to expand its presence in NASCAR.  The current Quaker State-Hendrick relationship has grown over its 15-year history into a championship-winning technical team.  Since 1996, Quaker State engineers work diligently with Hendrick Motorsports throughout the season to analyze and adjust the motor oil formulations in order to maximize on-track success.

Quaker State racing oil has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success under the hood of Hendrick Motorsports cars, led by Jimmie Johnson, who locked up his fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.  With more than seven million on-track miles, Quaker State's technical relationship with Hendrick Motorsports has resulted in an unparalleled number of racing triumphs, including 147 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins and nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships.

Fans can be a part of NASCAR and Kentucky Speedway history by reserving race tickets at www.kentuckyspeedway.com, 888-652-7223 or through the Kentucky Speedway corporate offices at 1 Sparta Pike in Sparta, Ky., just off Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 N.

For more information on Quaker State's motorsports sponsorships and full line-up of products, please visit www.QuakerState.com.

About Kentucky Speedway

Kentucky Speedway became the eighth member of the Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) family in May 2008. The 117,000-capacity Sparta, Ky., facility was founded in 2000 and quickly established a reputation for generating ultra-tight and dramatic stock car and open-wheel race finishes. Just a short day trip from Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville and Lexington, Ky., facility also is accessible from major markets such as Dayton, Ohio, Indianapolis, Ind., Pittsburgh, Pa., as well as Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn. The speedway offers fans excellent race views from all rows and extensive infield and reserved campsite options. Prominent Sprint Cup Series stars that have visited Kentucky Speedway's Victory Lane include Greg Biffle (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – 2000); Kyle Busch (NASCAR Nationwide Series – June 19, 2004; ARCA Racing Series – May 10, 2003); Carl Edwards (NNS - June 18, 2005; NCWTS – July 12, 2003); Kevin Harvick (NNS – June 16, 2001); Joey Logano (NNS – June 12, 2010; June 13, 2009 and June 14, 2008) and Ryan Newman (ARCA Racing Series – August 26, 2000). Well-known open-wheel Kentucky Speedway race winners include Helio Castroneves (IZOD IndyCar Series – September 4, 2010); Ryan Briscoe (IICS - August 1, 2009); Scott Dixon (IICS - August 9, 2008); Sam Hornish, Jr. (IICS – August 13, 2006; August 17, 2003); and Tony Kanaan (IICS - August 11, 2007).

About Quaker State®

Quaker State® motor oil has a 70-year history as a leader in consumer automotive products and vehicle care. Quaker State is among the industry's most innovative motor oil brands and offers a full line of products to meet every type of vehicle engine need. Quaker State is the first motor oil brand to create a synthetic blend of motor oil, one of the first brands to develop High Mileage Engine motor oil, and the only brand to market its motor oil product in a clear bottle. For more information about Quaker State products, please visit www.quakerstate.com.

Quaker State is produced and marketed by Shell Lubricants.

About Shell Lubricants

The term 'Shell Lubricants' collectively refers to the companies of Royal Dutch Shell plc that are engaged in the lubricants business. Shell Lubricants companies lead the lubricants industry, supplying 13.4% of global lubricants volume.(a) The companies manufacture and blend products for use in consumer, heavy industrial and commercial transport applications. The Shell Lubricants portfolio of top-quality brands includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, FormulaShell®, Shell TELLUS®, Shell RIMULA®, Shell ROTELLA® T, Shell SPIRAX® and Jiffy Lube®.

(a) Kline & Company, "Global Lubricants Industry 2009: Market Analysis and Assessment, 2009-2019."

SOURCE Quaker State