Valvoline – America’s first motor oil brand — will expand their long-standing partnership with championship-winning organization Hendrick Motorsports, by adding primary sponsorship to both William Byron and Kyle Larson.
In 2021 and 2022, Valvoline will serve as the primary sponsor of Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in three NASCAR Cup Series events, while hopping on-board William Byron’s No. 24 for a pair of races at NASCAR’s top-level.
Kyle Larson – who clinched his spot into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with a win at Las Vegas — will have sponsorship from Valvoline at Nashville (June 20), Daytona (August 28) and Bristol (September 18).
William Byron – who through the first 10 races of the season has scored a series-leading eight top-10 finishes — will carry the company’s colors at Darlington (May 9) and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s “ROVAL”.
“The NASCAR Cup Series, including the new dirt race at Bristol and new tracks this year, has been very exciting to watch, and we’ve been impressed by William and Kyle’s performances,” said Sam Mitchell, CEO of Valvoline. “The personal progress Kyle has made off the track has also been encouraging. I hope his example will lead people to learn about the lived experiences of others and work together to make our communities better for everyone.”
To mark the company’s first race with Larson, Valvoline will make a gift to the Kyle Larson Foundation – launched in March. At Nashville Superspeedway, the company will donate $5 for each lap he completes and an additiona $5,000 for a top-five finish by the team.
“To be a member of Team Valvoline is really cool for me,” Larson said. “In addition to what they do with Hendrick Motorsports, they’re a longtime supporter of grassroots racing, which is a huge passion of mine. I’m excited to work with a sponsor with so much history, and I truly appreciate the generous commitment they’ve already made to support our foundation and the ‘Drive for 5’ program. That level of confidence and partnership is really meaningful. I hope to repay them with trips to victory lane and important off-the-track work with the foundation and other initiatives.”
Both Larson and Byron are essentially locked into the series’ playoffs this season, after victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Through 10 races the pair has combined for seven top-five finishes.
“The events we get to run with Valvoline this year are awesome,” said Byron, who is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. “We have a ‘throwback’ paint scheme coming for Darlington that fans are going to love. For me, the ROVAL is a special race because it’s my home track and in the playoffs. Valvoline is a major partner of Hendrick Motorsports. I’m looking forward to the chance to work more closely with them and do some fun things together.”
Valvoline is the Official Lubricants Partner of Hendrick Motorsports and currently holds a full-season associate sponsorship on all four of the organization’s entries, which includes 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott and Richmond winner Alex Bowman.
“There’s tremendous energy around NASCAR this season,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “To see the enthusiasm of a partner like Valvoline to build on its already robust program and do more in the sport is very rewarding. Kyle and William are having strong years – each with a win already – and we look forward to seeing them in those iconic Valvoline colors. It’s a relationship we are extremely proud to grow.”
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