Blue-Emu®, SlimFast® and Natrol®, LLC Align as Associate Sponsors
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 15, 2015) – Today, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) announced that Walmart along with consumer brands, Blue-Emu®, SlimFast® and Natrol®, LLC have aligned to serve as sponsors of the No. 9 Ford Fusion driven by Sam Hornish Jr. in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series race at the Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway.
Blue-Emu and Walmart were partners with RPM earlier this year which led to an expanded partnership with Walmart for the Chicagoland Speedway event. Walmart is a well known retailer to the NASCAR fan base as millions visit its retail locations on a weekly basis. And, while in the Chicagoland area for the race, NASCAR fans will be stopping in at the local Walmart to stock up on the requisite weekend supplies. SlimFast and Natrol, LLC are new partners in the NASCAR platform with RPM.
“This was a real collaborative effort to build a successful partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 9 team with Sam Hornish Jr.,” said Mike Hargrave, Executive Vice President, CMO of Richard Petty Motorsports. “Blue-Emu, SlimFast and Natrol, LLC pulled together to support a key retailer in their business model, and we are excited to be a part of this initiative. This is also another example of our organization working hard to provide meaningful opportunities for all our partners, both current and new.”
Walmart has over 5,000 stores nationwide and reaches the millions of NASCAR fans who are among the most loyal of any sports fans. Three out of four NASCAR fans would consider a sponsor’s brand.* In addition, Chicago is fourth on a list of the top markets in which people are interested in NASCAR.**
As a driver, Hornish feels the support and loyalty of the NASCAR fan base on a daily basis, and he’s looking forward to sharing that experience with Walmart and the other brands.
“Our job this weekend is to give everyone associated with the No. 9 team a good finish,” said Hornish. “The opportunity to put Walmart in the spotlight in Chicagoland is special, and I’m thankful for Blue-Emu, SlimFast and Natrol, LLC for all they did to make this happen.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway is on Sunday, September 20, 2015. Live coverage will be televised on NBC Sports Network beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
*Source: Repucom SponsorLink (January 2014 – February 2015)
**Source: Nielsen Scarborough (USA+ Release 1, 2014) Field dates: February 2013 – March 2014
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
