| | Associated Press
CONCORD, N.C. -- CITGO Petroleum Corp. ended its longtime deal with Wood Brothers Racing on Tuesday by shifting its sponsorship to Jeff Burton's Winston Cup car.
Burton's new sponsorship begins Sunday at the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway and continues through next season.
CITGO has been sponsoring the Fords fielded by the Wood Brothers for 16 years and will continue to have its colors displayed on the team's No. 21 Fords driven by Elliott Sadler through the rest of this year.
Burton, a three-time winner this season who drives for Roush Racing, now drives the No. 99 Exide Batteries Ford. But Exide announced earlier this season that it was ending its sponsorship program.
"The Roush team sponsorship availability resulted from a unique set of circumstances, and we looked at it as an opportunity that we could not pass up," said W.A. DeVore, CITGO senior vice president.
"Jeff is certainly a championship contender, and we know Roush Racing is hungry for a first championship."
The deal helps ease a tumultuous time sponsor-wise for Roush Racing owner Jack Roush.
Earlier this season, Valvoline ended its longtime sponsorship with Mark Martin. He got a new sponsor shortly after when the makers of Viagra bought his sponsorship rights.
Roush is still looking for a sponsor for his No. 97 car because John Deere is leaving at the end of the season. | |
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