Tide Returns to NASCAR at Bojangles’ Southern 500
Procter & Gamble’s Tide PODS to Partner with Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs
Racing at Darlington Raceway for Historic Comeback
CHARLOTTE, N.C.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Tide and Joe Gibbs Racing announced today they will bring back one of
the most iconic brands in the history of NASCAR for the Bojangles’
Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, September 4. Tide’s
unforgettable orange and yellow paint scheme has been reborn as a more
powerful Tide PODS Toyota Camry, and will be driven by Joe Gibbs Racing
driver Matt Kenseth. This potent combination of the new Tide PODS entry
and Kenseth will pay homage to the rich history of Tide while
exemplifying the strength and evolution of the brand.
For 20 years, an entire generation of racing fans cheered for the iconic
“Tide Ride.” Driven by some of the sport’s legendary figures, including
Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd and Ricky Craven, the car amassed 20 total
wins from 1987 to 2006. Each driver contributed a fabled chapter to the
Tide Ride story—Waltrip’s famous victory lane dance following his
Daytona 500 win in 1989; Rudd gutting out a win at the 1997 Brickyard
400; and Craven capturing the closest win in the sport’s history (.002
seconds) at Darlington in 2003.
“With Tide celebrating its 70th anniversary as a brand, there’s no
better time to return to our roots in NASCAR for the Southern 500, and
introduce a new generation of fans to the powerful new Tide PODS car,”
said Amy Krehbiel, Brand Manager for Tide. “Matt Kenseth’s track record
has proven him to be the type of commanding talent that we’re proud to
align with the Tide PODS brand.”
As the newest driver to compete for Tide, Matt Kenseth brings nearly 20
years of experience in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including 38 wins
and the 2003 series championship.
“Tide has such a rich history in this sport,” said Matt Kenseth, driver
of the No. 20 Toyota Camry. “I can’t think of a better race to make
their return to NASCAR than for the Southern 500. I’m looking forward to
being a part of the second annual throwback weekend, and am proud to
represent such an iconic brand. There have been many great moments
associated with Tide and its former talented drivers; I’m honored to
continue the legacy with Tide PODS at Darlington.”
Tide will also serve as an associate sponsor on the remaining three Joe
Gibbs Racing Toyotas of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards for
the Labor Day weekend event. Additionally, the Nos. 18, 19 and 20
entries will carry Tide as an associate for the following two events at
Chicagoland Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.
Both Tide and Joe Gibbs Racing are also celebrating substantial company
anniversaries this year, further strengthening the significance of the
partnership and return of the iconic brand to NASCAR for these select
events.
“This is a thrill for us,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Not only is this a throwback paint scheme that we know the fans will be
excited for, but it is with a sponsor that has a tremendous history in
our sport. This is our 25th Anniversary season at Joe Gibbs
Racing and I know it is the 70th Anniversary of Tide. They
really are a historic brand in our country and their new partnership
with Joe Gibbs Racing for Darlington is a real honor.”
Fans can follow @JoeGibbsRacing and @MattKenseth on Twitter for
exclusive content featuring Matt Kenseth and much more, as well as live
updates during the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Kenseth and the No. 20 Tide
PODS Toyota Camry will hit the Darlington Raceway track surface on
Sunday, September 4, with live coverage on NBC beginning at 6:00 pm ET.
About Tide Pods
Named one of 2016’s Products of the Year, Tide PODS is a 3-in-1 laundry
solution, consisting of a detergent, stain remover and brightener all in
one convenient pac. The concentrated power of Tide PODS is designed to
handle a broad range of challenging conditions and soils in both
traditional and high-efficiency machines. Tide PODS are available at
Food Lion and other major retailers nationwide. To learn more about Tide
PODS, please
visit Tide.com.
About P&G
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest
portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®,
Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®,
Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®,
Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G
community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide.
Please visit http://www.pg.com
for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
About Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR
with four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR XFINITY Series
teams and a driver development program. Its 2016 driver lineup consists
of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, and Carl Edwards in the
Sprint Cup Series. Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones will run fulltime in the
NASCAR XFINITY Series, joining Kyle Busch and Matt Tifft who will run
partial schedules. In addition, Cody Coughlin is currently in JGR’s
driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by
Joe Gibbs — a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the
Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame — JGR
has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning four Cup Series
championships, and four XFINITY Series owner’s championships along with
more than 200 NASCAR races, including five Brickyard 400s and two
Daytona 500s.
Contacts
Taylor
Christina Kavanaugh
704-644-6933
ckavanaugh@taylorstrategy.com
or
Kirby
Gordon
704-644-6916
kgordon@taylorstrategy.com
or
Joe
Gibbs Racing
Jessica Rohlik
704-944-5028
jrohlik@joegibbsracing.com
