(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)
Advance Auto Parts To Support Local Racing Communities Through Partnership
As NASCAR Weekly Series sanctioned events begin to return at select tracks across North America, NASCAR and Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider, today announced a multiyear official partnership, designating Advance Auto Parts as the series entitlement sponsor. As part of the agreement, Advance also becomes the “Official Auto Parts Retailer of NASCAR.”
“It’s great to have Advance join us in welcoming the return of NASCAR-sanctioned grassroots racing,” said Ben Kennedy, vice president, racing development, NASCAR. “Advance’s commitment to our Weekly Series will develop some of the brightest NASCAR talent across North America. Advance has a long history in racing, and we’re thrilled to see its expanded presence from the grassroots all the way through our national series.”
The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series is one of the oldest series in NASCAR, where champions are crowned at NASCAR-sanctioned Home Tracks. The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series was paused in mid-March due to COVID-19 and recently returned with sanctioned events at select tracks beginning June 6.
The series is run at nearly 60 NASCAR-sanctioned Home Tracks throughout the United States and Canada. NASCAR Home Tracks are a group of local short tracks sanctioned by NASCAR.
“Drivers and race fans in North America have not been able to attend their local tracks due to COVID-19. We are excited to be partnering with NASCAR and the NASCAR Weekly Series to support tracks, drivers and fans as they resume live racing this year,” said Jason McDonell, Advance’s chief marketing officer. “We are committed to helping our customers advance in our stores, online and with this multiyear partnership with NASCAR. We are passionate about advancing local communities where we serve, and through this sponsorship we’ll be able to help grow racing at the grassroots level while supporting the next generation of champions.”
Race fans can catch select NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races live and on-demand via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, the new streaming service from NASCAR and NBC Sports. NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series races are part of the NASCAR Roots package for $2.99/month or $19.99/annually. The full TrackPass package, which includes NASCAR Roots, IMSA and American Flat Track events is available for $4.99/month or $44.99/year. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will be available on desktop web browsers and via the NBC Sports app on iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple TV (Gen 4), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, AndroidTV, Xfinity X1, Xfinity Flex and Chromecast devices connected via HDMI.
I wonder how this is going to work with Stafford track sponsors like NAPA. Nascar used to have a rule at the cup level anyway that you couldn’t have competing sponsors but I believe current sponsors were grandfathered in. NAPA is a big sponsor at Stafford and certainly a competitor of Advanced Auto Parts. I remember when Nextel became the title sponsor for cup there was an issue with other wireless phone providers.
It looks like NASCAR is allowing limited fan attendance starting this weekend. The article below did not mention Whelen modified tour specifically just cup but I wonder if this change at the highest level will allow for fans at JTown a track that has been running with fans in attendance already.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/motorsports/nascar-announces-fans-can-return-starting-this-weekend/ar-BB15g9JJ
Very appropriate weekly racing sponsor. Would be awesome if they offered discounts for weekly racers who showed their NASCAR license
Probably not a coincidence that Stafford tweeted Napa is #1 today. Let me check with dafella to confirm that.
What happened to Whelen? Will both Whelen and Advanced be sponsors?
Rafter,
Whelen is no longer the title sponsor for the National Weekly Racing Series program.
Thanks to Whelen for all you have done!
For decades retail customers were treated as second class citizens at NAPA, BigA and CarQuest as they catered to the car repair shops. You’d walk in, wait in line while literally any call from a repair facility would immediately be more important then the customer standing there even in mid order. The prices were equally as ridiculous. I know you old car guys know what I’m talking about.
Enter Advance, AutoZone and O’Reilly. You walk in an you’re important and the prices are great. Compare on the internet, buy and pick it up easy as pie.
To NAPA’s credit they got on board and now some stores have a back office desk for commercial orders and they offer lines competitive with Advance and the others.
Advance pioneered retail focused customer service with great pricing. Connecting with grass roots racing is a natural in my view. Also not missed is how they are tying it to streaming and there’s no way that can be bad. Might even have something to do with no cost access for Jennerstown. Seeing an Advance commercial could be a good sign.
In other news, NASCAR just announced that displaying the Confederate flag is now prohibited at NASCAR events and properties.
Wonder what changed their minds?
hmm, and this year’s license holders were already given Whelen contingency decals, patch, ect.. ect.. Has anyone received anything from Nascar, as far as new, Advanced Auto contingency requirements for decals, firesuit patches, ect??
Can you spell MONOPOLY Doug ? A king without a crown posses the market power to set the price !Underskilled ,under paid young kids trying to sell me no name auto parts don’t work for me .For God’s sake they could not correctly cross reference a spark plug for my lawn mower .What will they do for our weekly racing series ? Hand out car air freshener with there logo on it .
@Shawn – This is in regards to the NASCAR Weekly Series sanctioned events, Whelen will still be the sponsor of the WMT from my understanding.
Just Me,
Yeah, this doesn’t change anything for the Whelen Modified Tour.
Doug, I find myself compelled to once again agree with you, in part. For years you’d walk into a NAPA store, wait an absurd amount of time, then spend an overwhelming amount of money for your part. And if the part was defective you’d get the old “must have installed it wrong” excuse to not honor the warranty. It seems the last couple of years things have gotten better. What happened? O’Reilly, advanced and Auto zone. Once these dealers started building stores NAPA changed for the better, although their prices are higher than their competitors. I like that NAPA sponsors Stafford, and hope they remain a sponsor going forward. Time will tell. Dareal, if anyone stops attending NASCAR events because they can’t fly the Confederate flag, it just shows their true colors, and they probably don’t belong there. Racism has no home in society in 2020.
I do enjoy your flair for the dramatic Carl. Monopoly is over stating it. It never was and is not now. It’s simply a change in the business model and more competition from bigger players.
I’m doing front pads and rotors on my Toyota. My on line shopping choices are O’Reilly, AutoZone, NAPA, Advance, Rock Auto and Amazon so far. Comparison shopping is easy, I know what I want when I get to the store with part numbers and most will deliver for nothing over reasonable minimums. For those of us old enough to know what it was like at one time this is car guy heaven.
If you don’t like the kid that knows nothing at AutoZone or Advance just go to NAPA. They’re still there, they treat walk in as they should be thanks to the competition and will fix you right up.
There’s a lot to be said for the good old days. Two things that were not good were the auto parts shopping experience and the cars which basically sucked compared to what we drive now.
It appears you have a close connection with this subject doug .Are you a invester , or a shade tree mechanic ? Buying out your competition carport ,western auto , discount auto ,trak auto , carquest , diehard battery’s , etc…Don’t sit very well with me ! Now they can dictate to us what were going to buy and what we are going to pay . Sort of like wallmart and the home cheapot . There not doing our economy any favors . By the way , BUY your oem brake pads and rotors from your Authorized Toyota dealer .We all want to feel safe driving down the road
I guess what you are saying Carl is it ain’t the way it used to be and you think that is bad. It could be but that’s above my pay grade. What I do know for a fact is I have better choice and price now for parts I chose to install in my car.
There’s nothing more satisfying in my view as doing your own work in pretty much any trade related endeavor. However I am getting long in the tooth and mistakes can be made. I shall pay particular attention on this brake job Carl knowing you may be near on the highways and byways and would not wish you to feel uncomfortable.
Any statement from Whelen explaining what appears to be a decrease in its support for racing?
Rafter,
It’s been known for some time they’d be stepping up from the All-American Series stuff. But no, they didn’t make any sort of statement.
Shawn – thanks for the response. But, I’m not sure I understand what you mean by “stepping up”. Do you mean Whelen is now focused on higher level series?
Rafter,
My mistake in phrasing. Should have read stepping away.