TWO-YEAR PACT EXTENDS ASSOCIATION WITH MARK MARTIN & NO. 5 SPRINT CUP TEAM
CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 13, 2009) – CARQUEST Auto Parts has extended its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 5 Chevrolets driven by current Sprint Cup Series championship contender Mark Martin through the 2011 NASCAR season.
The two-year pact will showcase CARQUEST with primary sponsor placement in eight points races annually beginning in 2010. When its red, white and blue shield is not on the hood, the Raleigh, N.C.-based company will maintain a significant presence on the No. 5 Chevys as a major associate sponsor.
"CARQUEST is pleased to be an eight-race primary sponsor of Mark Martin and the No. 5 team for the 2010 NASCAR season," said Temple Sloan III, president and CEO of General Parts/CARQUEST Auto Parts. "In our eight years as a partner of Hendrick Motorsports we have enjoyed many successes, and this year has been tremendous. As the Official Auto Parts supplier to Hendrick Motorsports we are proud to have Mark, Alan Gustafson (crew chief) and the team partnering with us. Winning is the goal our team strives for every day, both on the track and in our stores."
CARQUEST began its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports in 2002 when it became the organization's Official Auto Parts Supplier and a major associate sponsor of the No. 5 Nationwide Series team with driver Ricky Hendrick. The partnership grew in 2005 when CARQUEST joined the No. 5 Sprint Cup team as both a co-primary and associate-level sponsor.
"Our goals and values have always matched up extremely well," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "CARQUEST is focused on teamwork, quality and providing terrific value to their customers, which are things we emphasize daily in our business. We're excited that racing continues to pay dividends for them, and we look forward to seeing CARQUEST in Victory Lane many times in the next two seasons."
In his first Sprint Cup campaign with Hendrick Motorsports, Martin, 50, has recorded five wins and a career best seven pole positions. The veteran driver, who recently signed a contract extension through 2011, is second in championship points with two races remaining in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup.
"I can't say enough great things about CARQUEST," Martin said. "They've been an incredible partner in my first season with Hendrick Motorsports, and I'm extremely happy that we'll have them back for the next two. I'm looking forward to having fun and competing for more wins with CARQUEST on board the No. 5 Chevy."
ABOUT CARQUEST AUTO PARTS:
CARQUEST Auto Parts has more than 3,100 locations throughout North America. It is the premier supplier of replacement products, accessories, supplies and equipment for virtually all makes and models of automobiles, as well as light- and heavy-duty trucks, off-road equipment, buses, recreational vehicles and agricultural equipment. Additionally, CARQUEST distributes and sells tools, equipment, chemicals, paint and accessories. For more information, please visit
www.CARQUEST.com.
ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Since 1984 Hendrick Motorsports has earned 12 championships in NASCAR's top three divisions and 187 victories in the sanctioning body's premier series, the Sprint Cup. The organization, which currently is celebrating its 25th anniversary season, fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup Series circuit with drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 500 people.
