Mark Martin to Shine in Winston All-Star Race at Charlotte
12 May 1998
Eagle One Car a First for Valvoline FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE HARRISBURG, N.C. (May 1, 1998) -- Whenever Mark Martin climbs into his Winston Cup race car, he expects to have the best prepared, fastest, most competitive car on the track. On May 16, he also expects to have the shiniest. Martin's sponsor for The Winston all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be Eagle One Industries. Eagle One manufactures a full line of premium appearance products such as waxes, polishes, washes, interior cleaners and wheel and tire products for cars, trucks and motorcycles. Eagle One is an operating unit of Valvoline, Martin's primary sponsor since 1992. Instead of Martin's familiar red, white and blue paint scheme, the Eagle One race car will wear black, red, orange and yellow livery, which Eagle One executives hope will show up particularly well in potential victory lane photographs."Valvoline employees are pretty partial to red, white and blue race cars," said Steve Kirchner, Valvoline's vice president of worldwide marketing, "but our recent acquisition of Eagle One was an important moment in our company's history. We wanted to introduce this premium brand to NASCAR fans in a big way." Martin's Eagle One-sponsored entry marks the first time Valvoline has entered a car with a special paint scheme for a NASCAR Winston Cup race. Since his first Winston in 1990, Martin has four top-10 finishes in the all-star event. His highest finish, second place, was in 1993. Last year, he placed sixth in the final run-down. Win or lose, however, when the clock strikes midnight on May 16, Martin's No. 6 Eagle One Ford Taurus will turn back into the No. 6 Valvoline Ford Taurus that he will enter in Charlotte's Coca-Cola 600 on May 24. -30- ![]()