CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 18, 2015) — A NASCAR ‘Throwback’ weekend at Darlington Raceway and a No. 17 Ford Fusion canvas made for an undeniable invitation for a David Pearson Ford Torino retro paint scheme. As Pearson remains the winningest driver at Darlington with 10 trips to victory lane at the historic track, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his sponsor Cargill Beef were honored with the opportunity.
“David Pearson is not only an icon in our sport, he is one of the greatest racers of all time,” said Stenhouse. “He knew how to save his car for when it counted and that’s why he had over 100 wins. From the time I thought this paint scheme might be a possibility, I have been counting the days to get that car on the track at Darlington. I only hope I do it justice.”
The gold and blue paint scheme that will run on the No. 17 Roush Fenway entry in Darlington is the scheme that Pearson drove to two Grand National Championships in 1968 and 1969 for Holman Moody. Two of his 10 Darlington wins were also with the gold and blue Torino in 1968 & 1970.
“Seeing the car that Stenhouse is running in Darlington brought back some great memories,” recalled Pearson. “We won a lot of races with that paint scheme. I think bringing back some of these old paint schemes is a great way to remind a new generation about some of the best years in NASCAR history.”
Cargill’s “For the Love of Meat” messaging is all about celebrating how meat fits into the American culture and nothing is more American than a Throwback NASCAR race in Darlington on Labor Day weekend.
“As soon as the folks at Roush Fenway told us about the throwback weekend in Darlington, we knew we wanted to be a part of it,” said Mike Martin, director of communications. “All diehard NASCAR fans know of the ‘Silver Fox’ and his accomplishments and we’re honored to have our logo on the car for what promises to be a memorable race weekend.”
Cargill Beef is also launching a social media photo contest that fans can enter by sharing their best beef grilling moments with the hashtag #FortheLoveofBeef. Fans who participate will be entered to win autographed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. merchandise. The contest will run from August 18th through the Darlington race weekend.
About Cargill
Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 153,000 employees in 67 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.
About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series competition with drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Reed, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace. Now in its 28th season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and producing multiple award-winning digital and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by Jack Roush, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.