-2011 Marks 21st Year for Iconic Partnership of Rusty Wallace and Oakley-
MOORESVILLE, NC (March 16, 2011)-Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC (RWR) announced today that Oakley–the iconic sports and lifestyle brand–will be featured as the primary sponsor of RWR’s No. 62 Toyota Camry in the March 26th Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway.
The relationship between Oakley and team owner Rusty Wallace is one of the brand’s longest-running in motorsports; it dates back to the start of the 1990 season, when Wallace was the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. From his trademark Razor Blades to the M Frame glass he still sports today, Wallace has proudly represented the Oakley brand for 21 years.
That relationship has now carried onto Rusty Wallace Racing, where Oakley serves as the team’s primary outfitter. Oakley supplies sunglasses, team and driver firesuits, footwear, uniforms and more to RWR’s No. 66 and No. 62 teams, led by Steve Wallace, Rusty’s youngest son and pilot of the team’s flagship No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota.
This year’s event will mark the second time that an RWR entry has sported Oakley colors at Auto Club, as Steve Wallace previously piloted a No. 66 Oakley-branded car at the Southern California speedway in 2008. Iowa native Michael Annett will pilot the No. 62 Oakley machine in the 2011 edition.
Said Rusty Wallace, “It’s really hard to believe that 21 years have gone by since we first got together with the guys from Oakley. We’ve definitely had a lot of fun together and 21 years later, Oakley is still one of the coolest and most high-performance brands on the planet. From their glasses to their new firesuits and everything in between, they make some really incredible stuff. I’m very grateful to Todd Hayes and everyone at Oakley for their support over the years and excited to have them on our car in their home market race.”
Stated Todd Hayes, Oakley’s Sports Marketing Manager for Motorsports, “Oakley is stoked about having worked with Rusty for so long and how the relationship has developed over the years, both with Rusty and the RWI team. At the end of the day, RW is the man! All of us at Oakley look forward to many great years to come with him and his team!”
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About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC
North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace-one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively. RWR entries have been among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.
