Catchfence

‘White-Knuckle’ Track Perfect Intro to NASCAR for New Sponsor

Statesville, N.C. (August 30, 2011) - Front Row Motorsports’ No. 38 Ford will have a different look at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway this weekend, hitting the track with a new sponsor and a different driver. Front Row driver J.J. Yeley will take the wheel of the No. 38 Vampt Ford for Sunday’s AdvoCare 500, introducing the NASCAR audience to Vampt malt beverages.

Vampt Beverage Corp.’s initial product offering includes two agave-infused, ready-to-drink malt beverages – Vampt SMOOTH TALKER™ and Vampt MIDNIGHT WARRIOR™ – available in select markets, including Atlanta this fall. Both the nectarine SMOOTH TALKER™ and citrus MIDNIGHT WARRIOR™ flavors have 8-percent alcohol by volume, offering less sweetness and more alcohol content than other malt beverages.

The one-race deal has Yeley swapping rides with teammate Travis Kvapil, who will drive the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford for the weekend. Yeley has seven Sprint Cup Series career starts at the 1.54-mile oval in Hampton, Ga. His best finish at the track is 15th (2006).

Comments from Vampt Ford team driver J.J. Yeley heading to Atlanta:

“It’s awesome to have a new sponsor, who’s also new to the sport and so excited to get involved, going to Atlanta, which is one of the fastest racetracks we go to. It being a night race just adds to the excitement. So, for us to go to a racetrack that I really enjoy racing at with full sponsorship from Vampt on board our Ford Fusion, I just know that they’re going to love it.

“We hope to keep the intensity going with Vampt and Front Row Motorsports so we can build on the relationship that we’ve started with this first race. We’d love to get them on board to make this a weekly process, where we can go to the racetrack with them and help market their product. The fans of our sport are very loyal to the brands that they see out on the track every weekend. I’ve already seen a note from a fan who said he was going out to buy Vampt, and the car hasn’t even hit the track yet.

“Atlanta has as much banking as any of the mile-and-a-half’s that we go to. It has a lot of character because the racetrack is fairly rough – it’s been years since the track has been paved. So, it’s a track that is very heat-sensitive. Because it is a night race, the lap times drastically improve from what we see in practice during the day. It’s one of those racetracks where, if your car’s not handling on the bottom, you can change grooves and run the middle or run the top. There are a lot of different variations. It’s amazing how Turns 1 and 2 are so different from Turns 3 and 4, from the shape and the banking to the entire line of how you run it.

“Atlanta is one of those racetracks that is fun because, as a driver, you can usually find a groove that helps your car if it’s ill-handling. Like I said, it’s one of the fastest intermediate tracks we go to. And it always produces some white-knuckle moments through the corners or when you’re racing somebody.”

About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release