Sherwin-Williams Boosts Investment In Sport, Becomes 'Official Paint of NASCAR'

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NASCAR® and Sherwin-Williams today announced a multi-year partnership designating the nation's largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies as the "Official Paint of NASCAR." Sherwin-Williams, a FORTUNE 500 company, will leverage its new designation for architectural paint and the power of NASCAR's intellectual property to activate at its more than 3,500 stores nationwide and ignite the passion of its customers – many of whom are fiercely brand-loyal fans of the sport.

In addition to signing on as an Official NASCAR Partner, Sherwin-Williams also becomes a Contingency Sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Touring & Weekly Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing. The NASCAR and GRAND-AM contingency programs foster strong relationships between competitors and the high-quality, performance-driven brands that are part of the program, by providing prize money for each race and at the end of each racing season. Competitors become eligible for the money by displaying partner decals on their race vehicles. As part of the contingency program, Sherwin-Williams will be title sponsor of the Fastest Lap Award in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

"The Sherwin-Williams Company is thrilled to be the 'Official Paint of NASCAR.' We have invested in the sport at the team level since 2000, sponsoring about 85% of the teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series," said Chris Connor, chairman and chief executive officer, The Sherwin-Williams Company. "With more than 3,500 stores nationwide, this comprehensive Official Partnership will enable us to connect with our wide customer base across the country and to truly partner with NASCAR at every track."

As part of this integrated partnership, Sherwin-Williams joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council®, which brings together an exclusive group of more than 60 Official NASCAR Partners four times per year to buy and sell products and services from one another. This exclusive business-to-business environment offers unique opportunities for many Fortune 500 companies to bypass the time and layers of corporate coordination that may exist to construct customized deals that help address specific business needs.

"Sherwin-Williams is a category leader and innovative marketer that we're proud to add to our family of Official NASCAR Partners," said Jim O'Connell, NASCAR chief sales officer. "Joining dozens of other blue-chip brands with official status, the company has a rich history in NASCAR and understands how to utilize our sport to drive its business."

Research from a 2012 Fan Engagement study commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Toluna shows that nearly half of all NASCAR fans agree that when they see a company using the tagline of "Official Sponsor of NASCAR" in its advertising, they are more likely to consider purchasing its products or services.

The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. on SPEED, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, both known for competition on road courses. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information, visit www.nascar.com and follow NASCAR at www.facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.

About Sherwin-Williams
Founded in 1866, The Sherwin-Williams Company is a global leader in the manufacture, development, distribution, and sale of coatings and related products to professional, industrial, commercial, and retail customers.  With 34,154 associates and $9.53 billion in sales, S-W is the USA's #1 paint and coatings company; #3 in the world. The company manufactures products under well-known brands such as Sherwin-Williams®, Dutch Boy®, Krylon®, Minwax®, Thompson's® Water Seal®, Ronseal™, Becker Acroma™, Sayerlack®, Euronavy®, Altax™ and many more. With global headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio, Sherwin-Williams® branded products are sold exclusively through a chain of more than 4,000 company-operated stores and facilities, while the company's other brands are sold through leading mass merchandisers, home centers, independent paint dealers, hardware stores, automotive retailers, and industrial distributors. The Sherwin-Williams Global Finishes Group delivers a wide range of products to the automotive refinishes, product finishes, and protective and marine markets in 120 countries around the world. For more information, visit sherwin-williams.com. Join Sherwin-Williams on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

SOURCE GRAND-AM Road Racing