Shell-Pennzoil executives think the company’s sponsorship of Penske Racing has the potential to pay for itself based simply on the amount of fuel and oil it sells across the Penske system of more than 310 auto dealerships and 200,000 rental trucks. The company last week unveiled a new paint scheme at Penske Ferrari in Las Vegas and disclosed details of the multidimensional, business-to-business relationship that led to its multiyear agreement to sponsor Penske’s #22 car. The partnership makes Shell-Pennzoil the preferred oil and fuel provider for Penske’s truck leasing business and the preferred motor oil of Penske Automotive Group, which includes dealerships throughout the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. The ancillary agreements are some of the most far-reaching that Penske Racing has ever cut with a partner. Penske’s previous agreement with Exxon Mobil around the #77 car driven by Sam Hornish Jr. made Mobil 1 the preferred lubricant supplier of Penske Automotive Group. The new deal with Shell-Pennzoil expands on that business-to-business opportunity by adding the truck leasing relationship. The deal also has the potential to help further Pennzoil’s relationships with auto manufacturers. Pennzoil is the factory-used product for five auto manufacturers, and it hopes that it can become the oil of choice for others by leveraging Roger Penske’s extensive dealership relationships with everyone from Audi to Porsche.(Sporting News/NASCAR.com)(12-11-2010)
