Lexington, Ky. (April 28, 2016) – Valvoline™ – the petroleum industry’s first U.S. trademarked motor oil brand now celebrating its 150^th anniversary – today announced a large internal team, along with a strong lead and supporting partners, will construct two, custom Stock-Full class trucks to compete in the 49^th SCORE Baja 1000, scheduled for Nov. 16-20 of this year.

This marks Valvoline’s inaugural endeavor as an owner in this racing league.

Lead partner in this venture is worldwide engine manufacturer Cummins®. Since 1996, Valvoline and Cummins have had an exclusive arrangement, with the Cummins’ logo appearing on product packaging for a number of Valvoline’s Premium Blue™ portfolio of products. The two companies’ extensive research and development relationship helps to produce the highest-performing product-engine combinations on the street today.

Additional Baja build partners include BILSTEIN, the world leader in monotube gas pressure shock absorbers, and ATS Diesel Performance, a worldwide manufacturer of diesel truck performance products. All partner companies have been integral in providing assets and expertise to the build.

“This endeavor is truly a collaboration of an extended, and valued, partner network,” said Jamal Muashsher, Valvoline’s director of marketing for global brands.  “Several Valvoline employees wanted to demonstrate our hands-on expertise by showing that we not only work at Valvoline, but also embody the spirit of the brand and understand how to get under the hood and create a competition vehicle.” 

This year’s Baja race will be a loop covering 800 – 1,000 miles, starting and ending in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. Two main trucks and two chase trucks – rotating drivers and navigators – are needed to complete the average 28-52 hour race. 

Drivers invited to navigate the custom-made vehicles will be Network A and Formula Drift Drivers Chris Forsberg and Ryan Tuerck.

“In celebrating our 150^th anniversary, we looked at Valvoline racers from our past and present to help us form a list of athletes to align with for this race.  Certainly, Ryan and Chris were at the top,” added Muashsher. “It meant a lot to us that the drivers invited to helm our one-of-a-kind trucks speak to the evolution of Valvoline over the past 15 decades.”

Valvoline has been part of racing since the sports’ inception. When the first-ever organized car race in North America was held in Chicago, Illinois, in 1895, the Valvoline lubricated, two-cylinder, one-and-three-quarter horsepower car won first place. And from this point forward, Valvoline would cement itself in racing culture. In 1965, the brand continued to position itself in racing legend when it introduced the world’s first racing oil. The product’s innovative competition benefits propelled it to become, and remain to this day, the best-selling racing oil of all time. Today, Valvoline™ teams race in numerous high-performance series worldwide.

The entire build will be highlighted in a digital series that will be exclusive on TeamValvoline.com this fall.  

Visit Valvoline’s recently launched TeamValvoline.com website for updates, auto-related content, videos and more – or follow the brand’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages for up-to-date information. 

ABOUT VALVOLINE™:

Valvoline is a leading worldwide producer and distributor of premium-branded automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants, and automotive chemicals. It ranks as the #2 quick-lube chain and #3 passenger car motor oil brand in the United States. The brand operates and franchises nearly 1,050 Valvoline Instant Oil Change^SM centers in the United States. It also markets Valvoline^TM lubricants and automotive chemicals; MaxLife^TM lubricants created for higher-mileage engines, SynPower^TM synthetic motor oil; and Zerex^TM antifreeze. Key customers include: retail auto parts stores and mass merchandisers who sell to consumers; installers, such as car dealers, repair shops and quick lubes; commercial fleets; and distributors. For more information, please visit Valvoline.com.

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™Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries

®Federal trademark registration

For MORE Information:

Ashley Fulmer, APR, Valvoline

205.322.5646 x 551 / 205.532.0901

ashley@bigcom.com