For the last seven seasons, Exide has been a prominent fixture among primary sponsors in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. That’s about to change. Effective with the checkered flag falling on Sunday’s NAPA AutoCare 500 here at Martinsville Speedway, Exide, the global leader in stored energy solutions, will no longer be the primary sponsor of the #99 Ford Taurus, driven by Jeff Burton. The Martinsville race marks the end of a run for Exide which saw Geoffrey Bodine and Burton carry the company name on their race cars from 1994 into much of the 2000 season. Bodine piloted the #7 Exide Ford for the 1994 and 1995 seasons, while Burton has driven the #99 Exide Ford since 1996. Heading into his last race with Exide as the featured sponsor, Burton has posted three wins in 2000 and currently has a firm grip on fourth in the standings. While primary sponsorship of the #99 car is ending, Exide has intentions of remaining on the car as an associate sponsor for the 2001 season, while continuing its affiliation with NASCAR(Exide PR)(10-1-2000)
