JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Winn-Dixie, a subsidiary of Bi-Lo Holdings, on Monday announced it is entering into a new partnership with Talladega Superspeedway to sponsor the “Winn-Dixie 300” NASCAR XFINITY Series race on May 2, 2015.
With 68 Winn-Dixie stores spread throughout the state of Alabama, the company will be partnering with NASCAR’s most competitive track, which opened in Talladega, Ala., in 1969.
“A great number of our customers and associates are NASCAR fans. This sponsorship represents Winn-Dixie’s ongoing efforts to find meaningful connections with customers by being a part of events they are passionate about,” said Tim Flavin, regional VP Bi-Lo Holdings. “We are excited to introduce the Winn-Dixie 300 to the state of Alabama and to kick off one of the best motorsports weekend experiences in the country.”
This isn’t the first time that Winn-Dixie has had its name on races at the world’s fastest speedway. From 1997 through 2001, Winn-Dixie was the entitlement sponsor for the ARCA Racing Series events, and in 2008, it had its name on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at TSS.
“We are so proud to welcome Winn-Dixie back to the Talladega Superspeedway family,” said Grant Lynch, chairman of the 2.66-mile venue. “Like Winn-Dixie, we have had a storied history in the state of Alabama, as well as the Southeast, for many years. So many of our fans are customers of Winn-Dixie, and we can’t wait to showcase the Winn-Dixie 300 to them in 2015.”
The NASCAR XFINITY Series (currently called the NASCAR Nationwide Series through the end of 2014) has been a staple at the 2.66-mile venue since 1992. Some of the sport’s biggest names like Earnhardt, Martin, Labonte and Stewart have gone on to victory in some of the sport’s most exciting and competitive races that will now be known as the Winn-Dixie 300, the grocer noted.
The new partnership was announced — and a new Winn-Dixie 300 logo was unveiled — at a press conference Saturday. The track is hosting the cutoff race of the Contender Round in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in which the field of 12 eligible drivers for the season-long championship will be cut to eight.