Mobil 1 expands NASCAR support amid Cup sponsor announcements

NASCAR sponsor announcements are taking place ahead of the trip to Los Angeles for the Feb. 4 Busch Light Clash.

Toyota Racing Development and Mobil 1 announced a major partnership expansion encompassing eight motorsports series.

Front Row Motorsports announced the return of Love’s Travel Stops as a primary partner for two drivers. Front Row also announced the return of Horizon Hobby.

Spire Motorsports announced the return of Celsius as a primary partner for multiple races.

RFK Racing announced the launch of a new division focusing on innovation in the racing industry.

Richard Childress Racing announces an extended partnership with BetMGM.

Mobil 1 will be a major primary partner of Toyota Racing as it supports drivers in NASCAR, IMSA, ARCA, NHRA, Late Models and more. This includes primary sponsorship of every Toyota Racing-affiliated Cup Series team.

“TRD’s technical partnership with Mobil 1 has been integral to Toyota’s on-track performance and success over the past 20+ years,” said David Wilson, president of TRD USA, in a statement.

“From winning the Indy 500 to championships in NASCAR, IMSA, NHRA and countless achievements in sports car, grass roots and dirt racing action, Mobil 1 has been the common denominator. As we begin another exciting racing season in 2024, we are honored to expand our partnership with Mobil 1.”

Christopher Bell will have Mobil 1 as his primary partner at the Busch Light Clash on Sunday, at Richmond in March and Talladega in April. Bubba Wallace will have Mobil 1 as his primary partner at Circuit of the Americas in March.

Tyler Reddick will have Mobil 1 as his primary partner at Phoenix in March and Richmond in August. John Hunter Nemechek will have Mobil 1 as his primary partner at Darlington and Atlanta in September. He will close out the Mobil 1 schedule at Phoenix in November.

Xfinity Series driver Chandler Smith, Truck Series driver Taylor Gray, ARCA driver Isabella Robusto and dirt racer Buddy Kofoid are among those that will also have Mobil 1 as a primary sponsor during their respective seasons.

Front Row Motorsports reached a multi-year agreement with Love’s Travel Stops, the team’s longest-tenured primary sponsor. Love’s will be Michael McDowell’s featured partner this season, starting with the Feb. 18 Daytona 500.

Love’s RV Stops, Love’s Travel Stops and Speedco will be the primary sponsors for half of the Truck Series races as Layne Riggs takes over the No. 38 Ford F-150, starting with the Truck Series season opener at Daytona on Feb. 16.

McDowell has achieved success with the yellow Love’s scheme. He won the 2021 Daytona 500, his first Cup victory, with Love’s Travel Stops as his primary partner.

Front Row Motorsports announced that Horizon Hobby will return to the No. 34 team as a primary partner for two races while also serving as an associate partner in the rest of the races.

Horizon Hobby will make its season debut in March at Phoenix. The radio control company will return at Indianapolis in July.

Celsius returns to Spire Motorsports and Corey LaJoie this season. The drink company will serve as the primary sponsor of LaJoie for four races, starting with the Feb. 4 Busch Light Clash.

Celsius will return to the No. 7 Chevrolet Feb. 25 at Atlanta, July 7 at Chicago and Aug. 24 at Daytona.

“I’m thrilled to kick off another race season with Celsius,” LaJoie said in a statement. “I’m confident we can bring a car that drives well and has some speed this year.

“I think restructuring how we attack The Clash, in terms of vehicle dynamics, is going to be a plus. We’ve had a couple good SIM sessions and worked really hard during the off season to be racing for a chance to bring our Celsius Camaro to Victory Lane in 2024”

Richard Childress Racing announced that BetMGM will return as a primary partner for both Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch this season. The sports betting operator will support both drivers in select races this season. RCR did not set the schedule for BetMGM.

RFK Racing announced Monday the launch of RFK TeK Alliance. This technology division has the goal of “pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation” in racing.

RFK Racing will bring in experts in a variety of areas, including engineering, as it puts emphasis on vehicle dynamics, quality control, data analytics and manufacturing operations.

“As we continue to evolve and seek new ways to excel in the world of racing, the launch of the RFK TeK Alliance is a natural progression for RFK Racing,” said RFK President Steve Newmark in a statement. “Our goal is to establish RFK as the premier ‘Tech’ Team in the NASCAR space — enticing cutting-edge companies to partner with RFK on both technological and marketing initiatives.

“This TeK Alliance will serve as a hub for innovation, fostering the development of groundbreaking technologies designed to enhance our own racing performance on and off the track.”

RFK Racing also announced the addition of Constructor, a leader in advanced scientific research and innovative Machine Intelligence. The company will use Machine Intelligence to provide real-time data about pit stops. Teams will be able to analyze every pit stop to find areas of improvement mid-race.

Additionally, Constructor will provide RFK Racing with the ability to track competitors throughout each race on the schedule. Race engineers will have video analytics and “proactive predictions” about situations on the track.