Latest news with #SteveODonnell
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
O'Reilly Auto Parts becomes title sponsor for NASCAR's Xfinity Series
O'Reilly Auto Parts will become the title sponsor for NASCAR's second-tier national series next season, as the Xfinity Series is set to be renamed starting January 1. The multiyear partnership, announced Monday, includes promotional opportunities and brand integrations with The CW Network, which is the exclusive broadcast partner for the series, according to the Associated Press. ALSO READ: Charlotte City Council considering $25 million for NASCAR Hall of Fame improvements 'Partnering with NASCAR and The CW at this level enables us to further deepen our connection to one of the most loyal fanbases in all of sports,' said Hugo Sanchez, O'Reilly Auto Parts vice president of advertising and President Steve O'Donnell stated, 'Like the great sport of NASCAR, O'Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people.' O'Reilly Auto Parts will be the fourth title sponsor in the series' history. The series was launched as the Busch Series in 1982, followed by a seven-year run with Nationwide Insurance, and Xfinity has been the title sponsor for the last 11 years. O'Reilly Auto Parts was founded in Springfield, Missouri, in 1957 as a single store and has grown into an automotive parts powerhouse with more than 6,400 locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. For several years, O'Reilly Auto Parts was the title sponsor of NASCAR races at Daytona, Texas, and Mid-Ohio.'Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR — teamwork, enthusiasm, and dedication,' said O'Reilly Auto Parts President Brent Kirby. 'You'll see those in action when our customers walk through our doors.' With the new sponsorship, O'Reilly Auto Parts aims to enhance its connection with NASCAR fans and continue its involvement in the sport, celebrating the shared values and passion for cars. VIDEO: Charlotte City Council considering $25 million for NASCAR Hall of Fame improvements
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
O'Reilly Auto Parts replacing Xfinity as series sponsor
August 18 - O'Reilly Auto Parts is replacing Xfinity as the title sponsor of NASCAR's secondary series starting in 2026. NASCAR announced a multiyear partnership on Monday that will become effective on Jan. 1. "Like the great sport of NASCAR, O'Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people," NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell said in a statement. "This new partnership allows us to continue to fuel that passion for the next generation of NASCAR's stars and fans while celebrating the journey we've been on together for decades." O'Reilly Auto Parts, founded in Missouri in 1957, has sponsored NASCAR races for several years across multiple series and tracks. "Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR -- teamwork, enthusiasm and dedication," O'Reilly Auto Parts president Brent Kirby said in a statement. The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series marks the fourth sponsorship in the second-tier series' history. Before Xfinity (2015-25), it was the NASCAR Nationwide Series from 2008-14. Anheuser-Busch was the title sponsor for decades before that as the NASCAR Busch Series (2003-07), the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series (1984-2002) and the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (1982-83). The NASCAR Xfinity Series, in its first year of an exclusive broadcasting deal with The CW Network, has seen a year-over-year growth of more than 17 percent in total viewership this season, according to NASCAR. The series is averaging 1.1 million viewers per race. "The success of NASCAR on The CW has shown that millions of fans will consistently tune in for these adrenaline-fueled races every week," Brad Schwartz, president of The CW Network, said in a statement. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Xfinity Series to have new name in 2026
NASCAR has signed O'Reilly Auto Parts to be the entitlement sponsor of the Xfinity Series beginning next year, the sanctioning body announced Monday. The series will be known as the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series beginning in 2026. This season marks the end of Xfinity as the sponsor for NASCAR's No. 2 series. Xfinity has sponsored the series since 2015. Winners, losers of NASCAR Cup race at Richmond won by Austin Dillon Austin Dillon earns his first Cup win of the season and snags a playoff spot with Richmond victory. Dustin Long, 'Like the great sport of NASCAR, O'Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people,' said NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell in a statement. 'This new partnership allows us to continue to fuel that passion for the next generation of NASCAR's stars and fans while celebrating the journey we've been on together for decades.' O'Reilly Auto Parts was founded in Springfield, Missouri in 1957. The company has more than 6,400 locations across 48 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Canada. 'Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR—teamwork, enthusiasm, and dedication,' said O'Reilly Auto Parts President Brent Kirby in a statement. 'You'll see those in action when our customers walk through our doors. We know they need fast service, and Team O'Reilly will get them the parts they need quickly, with excellent customer service. We welcome all fans to stop by our stores and see how our team can help keep them running.'
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
NASCAR's Newest Series Sponsor Will Be Music To Your Ears (Or Not)
If you're a fan of the catchy jingle from O'Reilly Auto Parts, good news: you'll be hearing a lot more of it. If not, well—sorry about that. NASCAR announced Monday that the automotive replacement parts company will be the new title sponsor of the second-tier touring series currently known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series. 'Like the great sport of NASCAR, O'Reilly Auto Parts was born in America and built on the hard work and drive of passionate people,' said NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell in a press release. 'This new partnership allows us to continue to fuel that passion for the next generation of NASCAR's stars and fans while celebrating the journey we've been on together for decades.' The company, founded in 1957, is already a familiar name to NASCAR fans. O'Reilly first appeared in the sport in 1999 as a race entitlement sponsor for a Truck Series event at Texas Motor Speedway. In 2008, it became the 'Official Auto Parts Retailer of NASCAR,' and since then has had its logo plastered across races in all three national series as well as several contingency awards. And of course, O'Reilly has been a longtime radio sponsor across NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports channels, armed with that jingle that's either a stroke of marketing genius—or the soundtrack to your nightmares. Now, starting in 2026, the company will step onto a bigger NASCAR stage than ever before. 'Our company is rooted in the same values that define NASCAR—teamwork, enthusiasm, and dedication,' said O'Reilly Auto Parts President Brent Kirby. 'You'll see those in action when our customers walk through our doors. We know they need fast service, and Team O'Reilly will get them the parts they need quickly, with excellent customer service. We welcome all fans to stop by our stores and see how our team can help keep them running.' NASCAR's version of Triple-A baseball dates back to 1982, when the sanctioning body cobbled together a collection of regional series and quickly landed a sponsor in Busch beer. That pairing of beer with a Cup Series fueled by Winston cigarettes was a perfect for the time, and the Busch Grand National Series soon became simply 'the Busch Series.' Over the decades, the series evolved into both a ladder for aspiring stars and a playground for established Cup drivers looking for extra track time—or a safety net for those needing to take a step back. Its sponsorship history has mirrored NASCAR's shifting eras: from beer to insurance to broadband, as the sport moved from blue-collar roots toward corporate polish and eventually into the digital age. Now it will bring its sponsorship back to the garage as NASCAR looks to appeal to a mechanical, DIY-minded fan base. Early last year, Comcast said that while Xfinity would remain a 'premier partner,' its run as title sponsor would end after this season. That opened the door for O'Reilly, which will gain a major spotlight thanks to NASCAR's relatively new broadcast partnership with The CW Network. The network is currently in its first full season carrying the series and will showcase the O'Reilly name from coast to coast. 'The success of NASCAR on The CW has shown that millions of fans will consistently tune in for these adrenaline-fueled races every week,' said Brad Schwartz, President, The CW Network. 'This exciting new partnership with O'Reilly Auto Parts gives us the opportunity to expand that reach even further by tapping into our mutually strong presence in local communities nationwide and continuing to grow our passionate audience in the years to come.' And while the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series might not roll off the tongue quite as smoothly as Busch, Nationwide, or Xfinity, at least nobody will ever forget the soundtrack. The jingle department already has that covered. Who knows, perhaps next season the drivers won't be saying their car was 'as fast as Xfinity Wi-Fi' and instead will just start signing. 'Oh, oh, oh, O'Reilly…' well, you already know the rest.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell talks 'passionate' Pocono fans, Amazon, racing in Philly
NEW YORK — Pocono Raceway isn't just a fan favorite track, it is also a venue looked upon favorably by NASCAR leadership. NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell talked about several changes and developments within the sport. One of them was the new in-season tournament, and how Pocono Raceway came to be involved as the last preliminary track on the schedule. Advertisement "Our partners wanted the Tricky Triangle," O'Donnell said. "When we talked with our partners and determined what were some of the markets they wanted to be in, Pocono was a big part of that. It fit into that window, and after that came the in-season tournament. But they wanted Pocono as an anchor of their portfolio." Race weekend at the Triangle: What to know ahead of NASCAR's Great American Getaway 400 When asked about what makes Pocono such an attractive place for racing fans, O'Donnell attributed it to the passionate short track racing in the northeast region of the U.S. "If you look at Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, there's a huge, hardcore short track market with a lot of fans who love racing in general, and have become NASCAR fans," O'Donnell said. "It's grassroots racing that kind of goes underappreciated, but the fans show up in droves." Advertisement Pocono Raceway has been a beneficiary of the regional racing fandom, selling out its infield campgrounds for five consecutive years and approaching a Cup Series sellout for the third straight year. More: Special traffic patterns planned on Route 115 near Pocono Raceway O'Donnell added that Pennsylvania has a huge racing fanbase, which makes sense why new media partner Prime Video, which is broadcasting the preliminaries of the in-season tournament, would want the Triangle on their schedule. Pocono Raceway president Ben May spoke about the track's involvement in the tournament and working with Prime Video, explaining that they were "flattered" the new media partner asked by name. This did force the race to be moved up a few weeks earlier, which is why the Great American Getaway 400 is in June this year as opposed to July in 2024. Advertisement There were also questions about how well a race would do on a streaming service, which NASCAR never partnered with before, instead of traditional cable. But in addition to the returning partners Fox Sports and NBC Sports, O'Donnell and his staff saw the opportunity to widen the footprint with Amazon and Turner. The latter is partnering with NASCAR for the first time since 2014, and both deals are until 2031. "It's a bit of a myth that our fans wouldn't have Amazon. Actually, they're already there; they've already migrated to that space. So we're really bullish on it." Weather watch at Pocono Raceway: What conditions should fans expect race weekend? NASCAR considering a race in Philadelphia? In a surprising development, NASCAR is considering a race in Philadelphia, about two hours away from Pocono. Advertisement "Pocono has delivered for us in terms of fans, but when you look at opportunities, one of the places we looked was Franklin Field," O'Donnell said. "It was one of the only places we could've put a race track inside. Those are the type of things that, within a city, we're gonna look at. "The days of just building a rural track are over, but if we can build a track with some real estate development around it and partner with some people, we're gonna look at major cities and bring the product to the fan base within the city as well." Franklin Field, home of the Penn Quakers, is the oldest college football stadium still in operation, opening in 1895 and renovated in 1922. Its Olympic-style structure is why NASCAR could consider hosting a race there, but O'Donnell said the exploration was "pretty early." O'Donnell talked similarly about another bold venture that eventually became the Chicago Street Race, a new wrinkle in recent years to NASCAR that had positive results with fans. This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: NASCAR president talks 'passionate' Pocono fans, racing in Philly
