NASCAR: Valvoline's $1 Million BBBSA 'Challenge'
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
March 13, 2001Valvoline will donate $1 million to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America if Valvoline Pontiac driver Johnny Benson wins the pole and race on the same weekend for any of this season's remaining NASCAR Winston Cup events.
Lynn Swann, recently elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a BBBSA Board member, made the announcement March 9 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The $1 million pledge is one part of Valvoline's "Caring Hands" national partnership with BBBSA, formed in 1999 to raise money for school-based mentoring programs and recruit new volunteer mentors. The program has raised more than $550,000 during the last two years.
Benson has been named the new national spokesman for the Caring Hands program as well as an honorary Big Brother. Valvoline also will donate to BBBSA throughout the Winston Cup season, based on Benson's on-track results: $5,000 for a race win; $2,500 per pole position; $1,000 for a top-10 finish; $500 for a top-20 finish; and $20 for each lap led.
In addition, Valvoline pledges to donate $100,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters if race fans and the general public submit 100,000 handprints to Valvoline by the end of the racing season. Fans can submit a trace of their handprint to Valvoline via fax (859) 357-2686, E-mail feedback@valvoline.com, U.S. Mail (P.O. Box 13458 Lexington, KY 40583-3458) or online at www.valvoline.com, as well as at any Valvoline Instant Oil Changes, Big Brothers Big Sisters community events and participating automotive retail outlets.
"We've made a lot of exciting changes prior to this season, including becoming the first consumer products company in history to co-own a Winston Cup team, but one thing that has not changed is our alliance with BBBSA," said James V. Rocco, senior vice president of Valvoline and director of Valvoline's racing program. "By naming Johnny Benson national spokesperson for the Caring Hands program, weve got a leader who shares the same values of both The Valvoline Co. and the BBBSA organization.
Swann added: "In 1999, we started the Caring Hands initiative at Daytona with a $50,000 seed from Valvoline and the program has taken off in terms of awareness and financial support thanks to NASCAR fans and volunteer mentors."
The BBBSA logo will appear on Benson's No. 10 Valvoline Pontiac for the remainder of the season.
Also: Johnny Benson's car will carry its first special graphic design of the season in the Food City 500 at Bristol on March 25. Valvoline's Max-Life oil, specially designed for high-mileage engines, will be featured on the No. 10 Pontiac.
Text provided by Michael Knight
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