NASCAR Performance brand launched

LAS VEGAS -- NASCAR on Monday announced the launch of the NASCAR Performance brand. Targeted to installers and consumers, NASCAR Performance will appear on more than 25 aftermarket brands such as Mobil 1 oil, Goodyear belts and hoses, Moog Chassis parts, Exide batteries and Wix Filters. The brand will serve as a NASCAR "seal of approval" for quality and reliability. NASCAR made the announcement at the annual AAPEX meeting here.

"NASCAR has been an authority on vehicle performance for 53 years," said Odis Lloyd, managing director, NASCAR Automotive Aftermarket. "NASCAR Performance is our endorsement of the best automotive aftermarket brands in the business."

NASCAR licenses its mark to automotive aftermarket products to provide a point of difference in a highly competitive retail environment. Surveys show that NASCAR fans are three times more likely to purchase products bearing the NASCAR mark. NASCAR Performance products are available nationwide through installers, dealers and retail outlets.

"When you consider the strong link between the automotive aftermarket and NASCAR, and the $60-billion opportunity for unperformed car maintenance each year, NASCAR Performance is one of the most important marketing initiatives in the history of NASCAR," said George Pyne, chief operating officer at NASCAR.

The new brand will be made visible through the NASCAR Performance Network -- a marketing program that promotes vehicle maintenance and directs consumers to nearby service facilities. The network, housed on NASCAR.com, features a shop locator service for driving directions, store hours, services and certifications. An ad campaign (TV, print, radio and internet) for the NASCAR Performance Network uses NASCAR crew chiefs such as Greg Zipadelli of Joe Gibbs Racing, Slugger Labbe of Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Ryan Pemberton of MB2 Motorsports.

Over the past seven years, NASCAR has endorsed automotive aftermarket products with the NASCAR Officially Licensed brand. Now, with a bold swoosh reminiscent of a race track, the NASCAR Performance brand will expand and unify NASCAR's presence in the marketplace.

NASCAR Performance focuses on the automotive aftermarket industry and its 161,900 U.S. technicians. Research shows that NASCAR's most avid fans spend nearly $200 annually on car parts. Additionally, NASCAR fans are more likely to own more vehicles, own older vehicles, drive more miles, and buy more auto parts to service their vehicles