CONCORD, N.C.
(October 10, 2002) –
Richard Childress Racing
Enterprises, Inc. (RCR) announced
today that two-time NASCAR Truck
Series champion Ron Hornaday will
be at the helm of the No. 2
ACDelco Chevrolet Monte Carlo in
2003. In addition, ACDelco
announced a renewed four-year
partnership with the RCR
organization, and unveiled a new
paint scheme for their famous blue
and white racing machine next
season.
“Ron
is a great competitor and a proven
champion,” stated Richard
Childress, president and CEO of
RCR. “We’ve had some great
battles against him over the years
in the Truck Series and the Busch
Series so I’m looking forward to
him winning races and
championships for us instead. I
think he gives RCR and ACDelco a
great chance to bring home another
Busch Series championship.”
Hornaday
experienced his NASCAR breakout in
the Craftsman Truck Series where
he amassed 12 poles, 25 wins and
two championships in 1996 and 1998
driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
(DEI). His NASCAR Busch
Series debut came with the same
owner in 2000, where he collected
two wins and runner-up
Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
After a brief Winston Cup stint in
2001, the California-native
returned to the Busch Series ranks
full-time in Loudon, N.H., in 2002
as the pilot of the No. 26 Carroll
Racing Chevrolet.
“This
is a chance of a lifetime,” said
Hornaday, who has two top-three
and six top-five finishes in 24
races this season.
“Richard’s been such a help to
me over the years, and got my
relationship with Dale and Teresa
Earnhardt off the ground when I
was just starting in this
business. His Busch program
is second to none as far as I’m
concerned, and I’m tickled to
death to get the chance to work
for him and a sponsor like ACDelco.
I know their looking for results,
and hopefully a gritty veteran
like me can help this team get
back to where they belong, on
top.”
ACDelco’s
partnership with RCR began in
2000, when the six-time Winston
Cup owner opened up his stable to
the Busch Series. Both found
success together with last
year’s championship, and the
renewed four-year relationship
solidifies both companies’
dedication to the sport of NASCAR
and each other.
Scott
Mackie, General Manager of ACDelco,
commented on the addition of Ron
Hornaday, the new partnership and
paint scheme, and changes within
ACDelco. “We couldn’t be
more pleased to have a proven
champion like Ron Hornaday
climbing aboard as we renew our
partnership with RCR. Just
like Richard, he has shown
throughout his career that he is
capable of winning at all levels
of competition.
“Many
changes have occurred in the
ACDelco organization this year,
and the paint scheme for the No. 2
ACDelco Busch car is just one of
them,” added Mackie.
“Change isn’t easy, but it’s
inevitable and can be exciting and
rewarding. Like the car, it
is time for ACDelco to have a
fresh face out in the marketplace.
Our primary objective in all of
these efforts has been to greatly
increase the value of the ACDelco
proposition for our direct and
secondary customers which means
greater availability for the
consumer. This is an
exciting time for ACDelco, and we
hope customers will continue to
use ACDelco for all their
aftermarket needs.”
“ACDelco
has been a great partner over the
past three seasons so I’m very
glad to be able to continue our
relationship for another four,”
added Childress. “RCR has been
able to continue the success
ACDelco began with DEI in the
NASCAR Busch Series and we look
forward to adding to that success
in the years to come.”
The
new paint scheme for the 2003
season, designed by legendary
NASCAR artist Sam Bass, is one
that embodies the company’s
exciting transformation in the
automotive market place. The
No. 2 ACDelco Chevy’s familiar
blue and white tones acquire a
radical red stripe down the sides,
creating a dazzling look for the
fans watching at home and at the
track.
“I
am thrilled to have been given the
chance to create an exciting new
look for the ACDelco team.
The idea was to integrate edgier,
more aggressive graphics into the
tried and true colors of the
product brand. The sponsor
and RCR team seem quite pleased
with the results. I believe
the race fans will be also,”
said Sam Bass, Designer.
ACDelco
trademarks itself on their unique
and distinctive ability to field
winners and champions in the
NASCAR Busch Series. In
their first five seasons, ACDelco
never finished outside the
top-three in the hunt for the
Busch Series championship.
ACDelco has claimed more victories
(25) than any other sponsor since
their entry into the Busch Series
(1997), in conjunction with
capturing two NASCAR Busch Series
Rookie-of-the-Year titles (1997,
2000), and the trifecta of
championships (1998, 1999, 2001).
