Black’s Tire will serve as the primary sponsor for Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 car driven by AJ Allmendinger in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway on Saturday Aug. 15.
The company will also serve as the presenting sponsor of the Black’s Tire 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday Aug. 14.
In its fourth consecutive year, the partnership highlights Black’s Tire’s continued support of motorsports and its ties to the racing community.
“Richmond is going to be a big weekend for Black’s Tire. Our sponsorship of the Truck Series race on Friday night and then watching AJ in the No. 16 Black’s Tire car on Saturday in the Cup Series race is going to thrill our employees and customers,” said Ricky Benton II, President of Black’s Tire.
“NASCAR and Black’s Tire are the perfect match. We hope everyone enjoys the weekend of racing in Virginia.”
Richmond Raceway is a 0.75-mile D-shaped asphalt oval in Richmond, Virginia, known as America’s Premier Short Track for its tight, competitive racing. Originally a half-mile dirt track built in 1946 at the local fairgrounds, it was paved in 1968 and reconfigured to its present layout in 1988. Since first hosting NASCAR’s top series in 1953, it has remained a longstanding fixture on the schedule with 136 Cup Series races and 17 Truck Series races, serving as a key part of the sport’s short-track tradition.
“I’m thrilled to have Black’s Tire back on the No. 16 car at Richmond,” said Allmendinger. “They’ve been an incredible partner for both Kaulig Racing and me over the years, and we’re grateful for their continued support. We’re looking forward to representing Black’s Tire at Richmond and doing our best to deliver a strong performance Saturday night.”
Black’s Tire Service, a family-owned and operated company, was founded in 1929 by W. Crowell Black as Black’s Service Station in Whiteville, North Carolina, during the Great Depression. In 1981, Ricky Benton Sr. joined the company to help expand operations, and in 1996, he and his wife, Dianne, purchased the business. Their three sons, Ricky Jr. (1996), Ryan (1999), and Jeremy (2004), joined the company, helping drive steady growth under the next generation of leadership.
Today, the fifth generation has joined the business, with Ricky Jr.’s sons—Trey, Cole, and Cody—continuing to build on the family legacy and position the company for future growth. Black’s Tire Service now has over 1,200 team (family) members across its growing network, proudly maintaining its commitment to family values and customer service.
Now in its 97th year, Black’s Tire has expanded to over 62 retail & commercial locations across the Carolinas, making it one of the largest independent tire dealerships in the United States and grown into 15 Wholesale Distribution Centers across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, and West Virginia while maintaining a commitment to customer service, employee treatment and community involvement.
BTS will also welcome Down East Heating & Air as a partner with the Black’s Tire Family riding on the hood for Richmond. For more than 40 years, Down East Heating & Air has kept homes and businesses comfortable across coastal North Carolina and South Carolina, providing heating and cooling systems built to withstand the region’s salt air, humidity, and severe storms.
Allmendinger began his professional racing career in open-wheel competition, winning the 2003 Champ Car Atlantic championship before earning five victories and a third-place points finish in the 2006 Champ Car World Series. He transitioned to NASCAR in 2007 and has since competed full-time and part-time across the Cup and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, securing three Cup wins and 18 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories while driving primarily for Kaulig Racing in recent years. He celebrated his 500th Cup Series start in June.
USA will broadcast the Cup race, with MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio providing radio coverage at 7 p.m. ET.
— Kaulig Racing —