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General Tire has furthered its involvement within the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League through a major sponsor agreement with standout performer Stan Shelton’s SVS Enterprises Two-Wheel Drive Truck Team for the 2008 season.
A division of Continental Tire North America, Inc. (CNTA), the Charlotte, N.C.-based Company’s familiar red, white and black corporate color scheme has been applied to Shelton’s 2008 Ford-bodied Ranger, rechristened the “General Tire Cutting Edge”.
Shelton, of New London, N.C., a past division title-holder, will compete at all nationally televised (ESPN/Versus) Lucas Oil Champions Tour point events, and select competitions throughout the United States.
“The addition of General Tire to our team is a great honor, and a tremendous opportunity for all involved”, said 40 year-old Shelton, a successful independent insurance agency vice president in Albemarle and Norwood, N.C., and longtime campaigner in the popular, wheel-standing truck division.
“Given the vast and international television coverage, plus the rural markets that we often compete in, our sport’s demographic reach should work well to expose the General Tire brand and bring tangible return on investment,” he said further.
Already with “Official Tire” designation of the Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League (PPL), and a major associate sponsor of its elite pulling organization through 2009, the addition of Shelton’s team further bolsters the revitalization of the General Tire brand of tough, durable and high-value tires on passenger cars, pickup trucks and commercial vehicles.
Shelton’s involvement in pulling dates to 1991, when after college the 23 year-old hung up his cleats and glove, and turned his attention to mechanized sports with a Ford-bodied machine called “Tom Cat”. His current team includes the “General Tire Cutting Edge”, plus a second Ford entry, “Sawmill Express”, each powered by 500-plus cubic inch, alcohol-injected and supercharged engines. The “Sawmill Express” second entry will continue to carry the team’s primary backing of longtime sponsor Culp Lumber Company, of New London, N.C., which since 1920 has been one of the region’s largest producers of southern yellow pine.
“General Tire approached Shelton’s operation on their own, and their agreement is a tremendous boost for our sport,” said Mike Chastain, co-director of the PPL.
“Anytime you can forge a partnership with a company as respected and well connected as General Tire, that’s a huge plus for any organization,” continued Chastain.
“To have that Company take the step of becoming more deeply involved, especially embracing a high profile team such as Shelton’s shows that there is additional value to be derived from our sport over and above what we provide as a sanctioning body.”
In addition, General Tire returns in 2008 as “Official Presenting Sponsor” of the PPL’s season-opening Carolina Super Pull (www.Superpull.com), to be held the weekend of May 2-3, 2008 at Concord Motorsport Park, in Concord, N.C. Categories of competition will include Two-Wheel Drive Truck, Four-Wheel Drive Truck and Super Farm Tractor.
“The General Tire footprint is becoming firmly planted in professional truck and tractor pulling through these alliances”, echoed Jamie Devney, Lucas Oil Motorsports Business Manager.
“We are working with General Tire, as well as other leading global businesses, and integrating them with dynamic plans and strategies toward a collective future that is both vast and rewarding in the automotive aftermarket through the vision of Team Lucas,” he continued.
Continental Tire North America, Inc. (www.continentaltire.com), is a group division of Germany-based Continental Corporation, a leading supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, and at present has an international workforce in excess of 80,000.
For additional “General Tire Cutting Edge” team information, please visit the SVS Enterprises’ official website at: www.stanshelton.com, phone; 704-985-0405, email; stan@stanshelton.com
Owned by Lucas Oil Products, Inc., of Corona, Calif., the Pro Pulling League will conduct upwards of 250 events across the contiguous United States, featuring the sport’s top drivers and their exotic pickup trucks, tractors and commercial vehicles.
The Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League is owned by Lucas Oil Products and supported by several corporate business partners: R&L Carriers, Torco Fuels, General Tire, Summit Racing, K&N Filters, KC Hilites, Super Chips, Jim Beam, Fatheadz Eyewear, and Super Clean. In 2008 the series will receive over 60 hours of prime television coverage on cable sports giants ESPN2 and VERSUS. For more information call 812-216-4024.