Story By: SCOTT RUNNING / STAFFORD MOTOR SPEEDWAY – STAFFORD SPRINGS, CT – Entering its 5th season, the partnership between Stafford Motor Speedway and NAPA Auto Parts continues to grow.
Beginning with the 2014 race season, NAPA Auto Parts and Stafford have become synomnous with NAPA serving as the track’s elite corporate sponsor. During the first four years, the relationship between NAPA Auto Parts and Stafford has flourished.
When NAPA Auto Parts first became Stafford Speedway’s Elite Corporate Sponsor in 2014, a group of 43 NAPA Stores signed on to partner with the Connecticut half-mile facility. Now, entering the 2018 season 72 NAPA stores located throughout the region have signed on to participate including 46 locations in Connecticut, 14 in Massachusetts, 7 in New York, 4 in Vermont, and 1 in Rhode Island. This gives race fans a wide variety of options to pick up discounted tickets for all NAPA Auto Parts events including the iconic NAPA Spring Sizzler® (4/28-4/29), as well as the NAPA Auto Parts SK 5K 6/29, and NAPA Fall Final Weekend (9/29-9/30). Tickets include admission to the races as well as a buffet that takes place before the races. In addition to special event tickets, NAPA Auto Parts stores also offer discounted weekly racing vouchers. Both Buy One Get One ½ Off and Kid Free vouchers can be picked up starting the first week of May at your local participating NAPA store. For a full list of the 72 participating NAPA Auto Parts store locations, please visit www.staffordspeedway.com and click on the “Participating NAPA Stores” link found at top of the homepage.
“NAPA and its independent owners are once again excited to kick off the new racing season at Stafford Motor Speedway,” said Geoff Watson, General Manager of NAPA Connecticut. “This year we will celebrate our 5th year associated with the track and we couldn’t be more proud. We are looking forward to our best season so far and can’t wait to get started. The racing community at Stafford as well as the fans are NAPA folks and we all love racing.”
“We’re pleased to continue the affiliation with NAPA Auto Parts as our Elite Corporate Sponsor for another season,” said Stafford General Manager Mark Arute. “NAPA Auto Parts has been an instrumental partner over the past four years and have helped us keep short track racing strong in northeast Connecticut. They were instrumental in creating the NAPA SK 5k in 2014 and that race has become one of the biggest short track events in the Northeast.”
The NAPA SK 5k has seen 4 of the top drivers in the Northeast win the 100 lap event including; 2014 – Rowan Pennink, 2015 – Ryan Preece, 2016 – Ted Christopher, and 2017 – Chase Dowling. $133,695 total posted awards have been paid out over the past 4 editions of the NAPA SK 5k
“With the support of NAPA Auto Parts, we have been able to include the prestigious NAPA SK 5k on our schedule. It’s been great to see the activation that NAPA Auto Parts has put forward in offering unique interactions with our fans on the midway during these events and through the stores,” continued Arute.
Throughout the midway fans are able to interact with NAPA employees showcasing different products offered in store. Along with the product displays NAPA Auto Parts offers giveaways to lucky fans, ranging from RC Cars, tool boxes, gift cards and much more.
NAPA Auto Parts not only focuses on offering great quality parts but also raising money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Throughout the 2018 season, NAPA will be selling tee-shirts, hats, raffle tickets for great prizes as well as hosting the the NAPA Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund Track Walk. Last year, NAPA Auto Parts and Stafford Speedway, through the generosity of the race fans, raised $7,500 for the Fund. The 2018 Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund Track Walk will be held on Friday, July 20.
“Over the past four years we have been able to donate over $25,000 to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund which provides medical help for soldiers returning from battle with traumatic brain injuries,” said Watson. “100% of this money goes directly to the fund and all of you at Stafford Motor Speedway have been wonderful supporters of this important fund. We are once again excited to do our track walk this year and we will once again be selling t-shirts to continue to raise money for our heroes.”
Thanks to NAPA Auto Parts and NAPA Know How, the 2018 season at Stafford is shaping up to be another banner year with NAPA Auto Parts and their over 72 participating locations throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
