Kenny and Eel River Racing have a Year Long Sponsor UPDATE 5 – 15 races: hearing that if the #27 Eel River Racing team does not get sponsorship for the team soon, driver Kenny Wallace will take a job in the booth with Allen Bestwick and Benny Parsons at NBC/TNT for the Cup races, but will still run the #48 in the BGN races. Benny and Kenny, that would be some high energy broadcasts AND Eel River Racing got a one race deal with Geico for The Winston Open/The Wintson this weekend, the team just unloaded the car and will make the 2nd practice this afternoon but missed the first practice. Supposedly Eel River and Geico are still in negotiations for a sponsorship deal for the rest of the season. Contact Geico at 800-342-9070 to show support for Kenny and the #27 team(5-18-2001) UPDATE: Barry Dodson, crew chief and part owner of Eel River Racing, Monday said if the beleaguered team could not secure a sponsor by Wednesday, it would not attend this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and would probably have to shut down. Dodson said Wallace would have to be released from his contract by Birmingham if the team is shut down, but he cited his concurrent ride in George deBidart’s #48 Goulds Pumps Chevy in the BGN as one thing that would keep him busy. Wallace on Sunday at Nazareth also said he had a potential television commentary deal in the works for the second half of 2001(NASCAR.com)(5-21-2001) UPDATE 2: Kenny Wallace said on Garage Pass that the team is close to signing a ‘big company’ as the sponsor for the team and that they would race in the Coca Cola 600. Wallace also confirmed that he talked to NBC about a broadcasting position(PRN’s Garage Pass)(5-22-2001) UPDATE 3: Tomorrow morning at 9:00am/et, Kenny Wallace will announce his new sponsor for the #27 Eel River Racing Pontiac. It will be a light yellow car with the familiar red circular logo of Sauer’s. It’s a family-owned food and spice company out of Richmond, VA called C.F. Sauer(www.cfsauer.com). Also on the car (hood and rear deck) will be the logo of Duke’s Mayonaise, another product produced by Sauer’s. The car will also be shown on “On Track from Lowe’s Motor Speedway” Thursday night. The deal will carry the team through the 2001 season and will allow them to test and do the things the team needs to do to be competitive. “Now with this you can say the death watch of Eel River Racing is over,” says Wallace. The team will be wearing it’s new colors on the track tomorrow as they attempt to qualify for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. from “On Track from Lowe’s Motor Speedway”/NBC6 in Charlotte AND Though final details were still being worked out, there has been an agreement reached on a sponsorship deal with C. F. Sauer, a Richmond-based company that markets spices and other food products, that will carry the team through until the end of the season. The formal announcement of the deal could come as early as Thursday at the track, where qualifying for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 begins at 7:15pm/et(That’s Racin’)(5-23-2001) UPDATE 4: The C. F. Sauer Company, Richmond, VA has signed on to support Eel River Racing. Starting this weekend at the Coca Cola 600 and continuing for specified races, Sauer will sponsor the #27 car driven by one of NASCAR’S most popular drivers, Kenny Wallace. Eel River’s 27 car will sport the DUKE’S Mayonnaise logo on a brilliant yellow background. “The C. F. Sauer Company is very excited to sponsor Eel River Racing,”said Mark Sauer Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We have been interested getting involved with a NASCAR team and Eel River Racing was the right opportunity for the Company. NASCAR fans are loyal to the brands in the sport and this sponsorship presents a unique opportunity to promote our products. We look forward to working with Kenny, Barry and the entire Eel River Racing Team, beginning a long and successful relationship.” Kenny Wallace also welcomed the news from C.F. Sauer; thrilled to have the team’s full focus away from the search for a sponsor and back on the race track. The C. F. Sauer Company is 114 years old and is still family owned and operated. Conrad F. Sauer IV, President and CEO, is the fourth generation to manage the venerable spice, mayonnaise, margarine and condiment company. The Company’s brands are Sauer’s, Gold Medal, Spice Hunter, Duke’s, BAMA, Mrs. Filberts and manufacturers a complete line of margarine products. (more and a little itty bitty image of the car at C. F. Sauer Company)(5-24-2001) UPDATE 5: The sponsorship is for 15 races, the team is looking for support for the other 10 races in the remaining 25 races(5-25-2001)
