Photo Credit: Team Penske
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 5, 2015) – Team Penske and long-time partner MillerCoors will embark on their 25th year of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) competition together in 2015. They will celebrate the partnership throughout the season with promotions and special paint schemes. The two elite brands began their current NASCAR relationship at the outset of the 1991 NSCS season and the No. 2 Miller Lite look has become a racing icon ever since.
To kick off the celebration of the 25th anniversary of primary sponsorship on the No. 2 Ford Fusion, Team Penske and Miller Lite have created a commemorative 25th anniversary logo that will be displayed on the hood of the Miller Lite Ford Fusion at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend and run on the TV panel of the Ford Fusion for each Miller Lite sponosred race in 2015.
“It has been a privilege to race in NASCAR for the past 25 years with MillerCoors as a partner,” said Roger Penske. “Success in racing is based on having the right people and the right partners. MillerCoors is a company that shares those values with us, and it has shown in what we have been able to accomplish together over the last quarter century. Together we have won many races and brought home a championship. I am grateful for all that Miller has done for our team, and I look forward to our continued success.”
Miller Lite and Team Penske will use the milestone occasion to involve fans as they will have the opportunity to vote on three different itinerations for the Miller Lite “Blue Deuce,” now affectionately dubbed the “Blanco Deuce.” The winning paint scheme will appear in the All-Star race at Charlotte in May.
The anniversary will also be marked throughout the season with two additional significant paint schemes. First, the No. 2 will feature the iconic black and gold Miller Genuine Draft scheme for the Michigan race in August and then feature the red and white Miller High Life design that was featured in 1980s for the return to Darlington on Labor Day weekend.
”Penske has been a great partner throughout the decades in driving the success of our brand, our drivers and the fan experience,” said Andy England, Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re honored and proud to be a part of such a long-standing, victory-filled relationship.”
Over the course of its 25-year campaign with Team Penske, the No. 2 car has represented multiple beers in the Miller family and had several special paint schemes with different drivers. Starting in 1991, Rusty Wallace carried the torch for 15 years, amassing a remarkable 37 victories for the Miller Genuine Draft, Miller and Miller Lite brands. The No. 2 Miller Lite Blue Deuce saw action from 2006 to 2010 with Kurt Busch, who notched eight victories during his term.
In 2011, Brad Keselowski assumed command of the No. 2 Miller Lite car and, just one year later, took it to the pinnacle of stock car racing – the NSCS championship – marking a first for both Team Penske and MillerCoors. In the time since, Keselowski has continued to build upon the brand’s excellence and the team’s heritage by accruing 15 victories, seven poles, and 49 top-five finishes.
“It is remarkable that Team Penske and Miller have been racing together for 25 years,” said Keselowski. “It is definitely an honor for me to be able to drive a car that has such a rich and storied tradition of excellence. I look forward to continuing that tradition and will do my best to keep the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford at the front.”
The partnership between Team Penske and MillerCoors actually spans more than 30 years, dating back to the organization’s IndyCar program as well as sponsorship of race tracks formerly owned by Penske Corporation, making it one of the most enduring and strongest sponsor-team relationships in all of sports.
About Miller Brewing Company
Miller Brewing Company was founded in 1855 by Frederick J. Miller when he purchased the Plank Road Brewery in Milwaukee, a city he chose as the best place for a brewery given its access to great water. Miller Lite, the original great-tasting light pilsner beer, (MillerLite.com, Facebook.com/MillerLite, @MillerLite on Twitter) was introduced nationally in 1975 and is among the top-five selling beers in the United States. Miller Fortune (MillerFortune.com, Facebook.com/MillerFortune, @MillerFortune on Twitter) is brewed with caramel malt and cascade hops for a balanced taste and smooth finish. The brewery’s oldest enduring beer is Miller High Life (MillerHighLife.com, Facebook.com/MillerHighLife, @MillerHighLife on Twitter). Known as the Champagne of Beers, it was introduced in 1903 and is still brewed with the same yeast strain that Miller carried in his pocket from Germany. Miller Genuine Draft (MGD.com, Facebook.com/MillerGenuineDraft, @Miller_Global on Twitter), introduced in 1986, is the original cold-filtered, packaged draft beer. Miller Brewing Company operates in the United States and Puerto Rico as part of MillerCoors, a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company. Learn more at MillerCoors.com, at Facebook.com/MillerCoors or on Twitter through @MillerCoors.
About Team Penske
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced more than 400 major race wins, over 450 pole positions and 27 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories in its storied history. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.
