Hitachi Powers Up with Travis Kvapil and the No. 28 Yates Racing Team in the Chase for the Sprint Cup
NORCROSS, GA- Hitachi Power Tools today announced the partnership with Yates Racing, sponsoring the No. 28 entry with driver Travis Kvapil for a total of six races in the remaining NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. The primary sponsorship will debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27th and the race will mark the first time Hitachi Power Tools has been a primary sponsor in NASCAR’s most elite division, the Sprint Cup Series.
“This is a really powerful sponsorship for our Yates Racing organization,” commented Kvapil. “I am thrilled that Hitachi Power Tools has chosen to partner with our team and it’s a tremendous honor to be able to welcome a new sponsor to the Sprint Cup Series level on our No. 28 Ford. We’ve been fortunate as an organization to have the support from numerous partners already this season and I feel that this new partnership with Hitachi Power Tools is going to be another great addition to our team. I’m looking forward to successful races ahead for our No. 28 Hitachi Power Tools Ford, and I am honored to have been the driver selected to represent their company in NASCAR’s highest division.”
“Hitachi Power Tools is proud to sponsor the No. 28 Ford Fusion with Yates Racing and is excited for the opportunity to have a presence at the Cup level for the first time as a primary sponsor,” said John Fries of Hitachi Power Tools. “Our organization feels that this sponsorship works well in our overall marketing plan. The goal is to increase exposure of the Hitachi brand and promote lithium-ion cordless tools to NASCAR fans. When the opportunity came for us to partner with Yates Racing, we felt that it was exactly the right fit for us. Doug Yates is a tremendous talent as an engineer and his knowledge of technology and machinery attracted us to this team. Travis is a proven winner and champion in the truck series and we look forward to partnering with Yates Racing and Travis Kvapil for his first win at the Cup level.”
The premiere of the No. 28 Hitachi Power Tools Ford Fusion will take place on July 27, 2008 for the Allstate 400 when Kvapil and his Yates Racing teammate, David Gilliland, travel to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 20th race of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season. The Allstate 400 will be broadcast on ESPN Sunday, July 27th with television coverage beginning at 1:00 pm EST and radio coverage provided by Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The remaining five races of the primary sponsorship will include the Sprint Cup Series events at: Pocono, Richmond, Dover, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Kvapil has achieved three top-10 finishes and four top-15 finishes this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series within the first nineteen starts of the year and is currently 21st in the driver point standings.
Yates Racing operates two motorsports teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formerly known as Robert Yates Racing, the team is owned by Doug Yates, who took the reins after his father, Robert Yates, retired at the end of the 2007 season, and partnered with Max Jones; a former road racer and long-time championship General Manager. The 2008 season will mark the 20th year of competition for the Ford team. During those years, the organization had a total of 57 wins, 48 poles, 269 top-five finishes, 427 top-ten finishes, and a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Yates Racing will field two Ford Fusions in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with drivers Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland.
Hitachi Power Tools (Hitachi Koki USA, Ltd) offers an extensive line of professional grade power tools and accessories for woodworking, metalworking, drilling and fastening, concrete drilling and cutting as well as a complete line of pneumatic nailers, staplers, compressors and collated fasteners. From headquarters in Atlanta, GA, and satellite offices in the United States and Canada, Hitachi Power Tools supports nearly 2000 retail locations carrying Hitachi tools and over 1000 authorized service centers.