RCR’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy Unveiled at Chicagoland Speedway
By Bram • Jul 10th, 2008 • Category: News, Sprint Cup Series
Burton & Co. Will Have New Look in 2009
JOILET, Ill. (July 10, 2008) — Richard Childress Racing unveiled today at Chicagoland Speedway the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala SS to be driven by Jeff Burton in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2009.
Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) and RCR announced June 18 that they had entered into a multi-year partnership for the No. 31 Chevrolet team and Burton. Next season marks Caterpillar’s 17th year of sponsorship involvement in NASCAR. It will also be Richard Childress’ 40th anniversary in the sport.
“Brand identity is a key element to the success of the partnership between a sponsor and a race team,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Caterpillar kept the core of its established and very well-known paint scheme and, at the same time, made it unique to the RCR program by including a Cat product into the overall design.”
Burton, a 20-time winner in NSCS competition, is currently third in the 2008 point standings with one victory, four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in the season’s first 18 races. The No. 31 team has made the Chase for the Championship the past two seasons, finishing seventh in 2006 and eighth last year.
“Fans tell us Caterpillar has one of the most recognizable cars in NASCAR,” said Jim Parker, vice president of Caterpillar’s North American Commercial Division. “RCR is one of the most familiar names in racing. Our new design—with Jeff Burton behind the wheel—combines these two distinct brands yet still adds a fresh new look for 2009.”
RCR has earned 11 NASCAR championships, including six in the Cup series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt, four in the Nationwide Series and one in the Truck Series.
About Caterpillar
For more than 80 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making progress possible and driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2007 sales and revenues of $44.958 billion, Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. The company also is a leading services provider through Caterpillar Financial Services, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services, Caterpillar Logistics Services and Progress Rail Services. More information is available at http://www.cat.com.
About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 180 victories and 11 NASCAR championships, including the 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series owners’ point title and six in the Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. It was the first organization to win championships in the Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Truck Series. Its 2008 Cup Series lineup includes Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s/DIRECTV), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T). Its Nationwide Series lineup includes Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T/Camping World), and Burton and Scott Wimmer (No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express).
