Fans' vote selects official logo for Coke Zero 400

ATLANTA -- The ballots have been tallied and Coke Zero is declaring a winner in the closest vote of the season. Race fans have selected the official logo for the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola, the new name of the July Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona (6:30 p.m. ET on July 5, TNT).

To bring NASCAR fans closer to the sport they love and create excitement about the race, Coke Zero and Daytona International Speedway hosted an online voting contest that allowed fans to choose the official race logo. Beginning in conjunction with the 50th running of the Daytona 500, fans were invited to visit NASCAR.COM to vote for their favorite from two logo options. The winning logo, determined solely by the nearly 40,000 fan votes, was revealed on NASCAR.COM on Friday.

In a photo finish, the final vote was nearly split, 51 percent to 49 percent. The winning logo incorporates the shape of Daytona International Speedway's famous tri-oval and features Coke Zero's red, black and white colors. Within the outline of the track, the words "Coke Zero 400 at Daytona" are divided by an oversized black-and-white checkered contour bottle, with "Powered By Coca-Cola" appearing just below.

The new logo will immediately begin appearing everywhere in conjunction with the inaugural running of the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola -- from official race merchandise to the infield grass at Daytona International Speedway.

Title sponsorship of the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola serves as the centerpiece for Coke Zero's expanded presence within NASCAR. This season, fans already have seen the debut of Coke Zero's first-ever NASCAR-themed advertising campaign, along with driver appearances, high-visibility track signage and several other initiatives -- all promoting the brand's core message -- Coke Zero has "Real Coke Taste and Zero Calories."

The debut of the Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola is part of a new 10-year sponsorship agreement between Coca-Cola North America and International Speedway Corporation. Through a variety of track partnerships, brands from CCNA will be at 12 race tracks in 2008 before expanding to 16 race tracks by 2012.

In December 2007, CCNA also extended its long-term partnership with NASCAR through the 2017 season. The sponsorship commitment, one of the largest in professional sports, continues CCNA's position as the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage sponsor for NASCAR.

While Coca-Cola has been involved with stock car racing for more than 40 years, the brand officially teamed with NASCAR in 1998. In addition, the Coca-Cola 600, held annually at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., is the longest continuous sponsorship of any race in NASCAR.