STATESVILLE, N.C. (February 12, 2015) – Front Row Motorsports and CSX will partner for a third straight season in 2015, returning the railroad’s “Play It Safe” public service message to David Ragan’s No. 34 Ford. The partnership will put the CSX Ford on track for eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, which will include the short-track excitement of Bristol Motor Speedway in April, the Fourth of July holiday weekend at Daytona International Speedway, and the historic Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
CSX is one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers, with a network covering 21,000 miles of railroad tracks in 23 states and two Canadian provinces. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based company will once again use Ragan’s ability to connect with fans to promote the message to “Play It Safe” around railroad tracks by braking for trains at railroad crossings and staying off railroad tracks. In addition, Ragan will visit several CSX facilities to talk about how safety is stressed in the risky world of automobile racing.
Two years into the partnership, CSX and Ragan continue to spread cautious words of advice to NASCAR’s fan base, especially the millennial generation of 18- to 34-year-old males, the demographic mostly likely to be involved in a crossing collision and to trespass on tracks.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with all the great people at CSX,” Ragan said. “I’ve gotten to visit some rail yards and meet the professionals who keep the trains moving and do it with safety as their top priority. We’re excited to keep spreading the message about playing it safe around trains and railroad tracks with our No. 34 CSX Ford program.”
“If we save just one life, this program is well worth it,” said John Claybrooks, CSXGlobal Director, Brand & Digital Media. “There are a lot of parallels surrounding the importance of safety on the race track and around railroad tracks. The No. 34 Ford is a great partner communicating this message thoughtfully and creatively.”
Bob Jenkins is proud of how his team is the right fit for CSX’s needs.
“It will be great to have David and CSX teamed up once again in 2015,” Jenkins said. “They’ve done a lot of great work together, not just at the track, but in schools and rail yards talking with kids and CSX employees. We’re really proud of the platform that we’ve been able to offer to get their message out. It’s a great partner success story for our team.”
The CSX “Play It Safe” Ford paint scheme will make its first appearance of the 2015 season on March 1 at Ragan’s home track of Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway. The 500-mile event will air nationally on FOX.
About CSX:
CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products. For more than 185 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and small farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available atwww.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/
About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a race-winning organization competing in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series, fielding the No. 34 of David Ragan, the No. 35 of Cole Whitt and the No. 38 of David Gilliland. The team is owned by Bob Jenkins and is headquartered just outside of Charlotte, N.C. FRM was named to INC Magazine’s “INC 5000” list in 2012, recognizing the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The team’s partnership base is representative of more than $200 billion of the U.S. economy and includes organizations such as Ford Motor Company, Love’s Travel Stops, Colgate-Palmolive, CSX Transportation, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s. Visitteamfrm.com.
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