Smithfield Foods Partners With Richard Petty Motorsports
Smithfield Foods Inc. has entered into a multiyear integrated partnership with the Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR team.
Smithfield will be utilizing a number of its core brands as well as unique and engaging promotional initiatives throughout this racing season to communicate with existing customers and introduce others to the company’s many fine products. In addition, NASCAR fans will see a variety of Smithfield brands adorning Petty’s No. 43 Ford Fusion as primary sponsor in 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events in 2012, including the first event of the season, February’s Daytona 500.
Smithfield brands include Farmland, Eckrich and Curly’s, as well as Helping Hungry Homes, one of Smithfield’s premier community-outreach brands. Smithfield and Helping Hungry Homes, an initiative focused on alleviating hunger across America, will be Smithfield’s featured brands for the Daytona 500.
“We had been in discussions internally about entering NASCAR with the Petty’s as so many of our customers are true blue fans of the sport and of the Pettys,” said C. Larry Pope, Smithfield's president and CEO. “However, with the recent events that have affected the Petty organization, we felt it was only right to step up our efforts now to support them, as well as dedicate time and resources to bring some exciting initiatives with our brands to NASCAR fans. In the coming months, we will be announcing plans and programs both on and off the track to reach and engage our customers and local communities that are so important to us.”
Petty remarked: “This partnership with Smithfield Foods is part of the beginning of a new chapter for the No. 43 team. We appreciate that they saw something special in the Petty family and in Richard Petty Motorsports as a whole, and made the decision to take the partnership to a higher level right out of the box than originally planned. The folks at Smithfield have a solid plan in place to utilize their sponsorship in some very exciting ways and we're looking forward to working with them in 2012 and beyond.”
Aric Almirola was recently named as the driver of the famed No. 43 Ford and will make his debut in the Richard Petty Motorsports owned entry at Daytona International Speedway. “I’m looking forward to representing the Smithfield brands,” Almirola said. “They have some great things planned and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Known to many simply as “The King,” Richard Petty is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing, winning a record 200 races and seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships during his illustrious career.
Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods is a $12 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer.