Unilever Foods Division announced the signing of an agreement that places the company’s successful Hungry Drivers NASCAR Busch Series sponsorship with Evernham Motorsports for the upcoming 2005 season. Unilever Foods, one of the world’s largest food companies, is home to a roster of household brands including Ragu pasta sauce, Shedd’s Spread Country Crock spread, Lipton tea, Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Lawry’s spice blends and marinades. The company entered the NASCAR Busch Series at the start of the 2004 season with a first of its kind program, providing four up and coming, or “hungry” drivers including Paul Wolfe, Tracy Hines, Mark McFarland and Scott Lynch, with the chance to showcase their talent driving for a top-notch team. The 12-race Hungry Drivers team was formed by Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR), led by rising star Tommy Baldwin Jr., crew chief for Evernham Motorsports NEXTEL CUP driver #9 Kasey Kahne. Unilever recently announced the expansion of the Hungry Drivers program to a full NASCAR Busch Series race season in 2005. Of the four current drivers, one will be chosen as the primary driver of the #6 Hungry Drivers Dodge and will compete in a majority of the events in 2005. In keeping with its theme of uncovering new talent, the 2005 program will enable additional “hungry drivers” to showcase their skills by competing in several events throughout the season. The primary driver will be announced after the end of the 2004 Hungry Drivers competition. Under terms of the agreement, Evernham Motorsports’ inaugural 2005 NASCAR Busch Series team will be sponsored by Unilever’s multi-brand Hungry Drivers program, and merchandised via national retail programs and “food, family and fun” campground sampling programs at tracks around the country.
“It is critical that our first entry in the Busch series be both timely and impactful. The timing is right for our company to grow, and we are excited to align our team with a high impact global company like Unilever that’s clearly doing it the right way in NASCAR,” said Ray Evernham, CEO of Evernham Motorsports. “Also, a key element of this program is that it will develop drivers and crew members for our NASCAR Nextel Cup program. Every successful sports franchise has a farm team network to develop and evaluate talent, and we plan on using the Hungry Drivers team in just that manner.”
Look for future announcements regarding the 2005 Hungry Drivers season in the coming weeks, including the selection of the primary
driver and sponsoring brand announcements. The drivers named include Tracy Hines, Scott Lynch, Mark McFarland, and Paul Wolfe. The Hungry Drivers program allows each driver to compete in three races throughout the 2004 season. The driver who delivers the best performance will be in a prime position to secure a full NASCAR Busch Series ride in 2005. For more information go to www.hungrydrivers.com.(Bulldawg Marketing PR)(8-21-2004)
