Today, Quaker State solidified itself as a major player for years to come in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) with two significant announcements at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Quaker State will be extending one of the longest running NCS race entitlements with the Quaker State 400, the summer event at AMS, and forming a new sponsorship and technical alliance with Trackhouse Racing.
This year will see the 13th straight Quaker State 400, which began in 2011 at Kentucky Speedway and moved to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2021. The multi-year extension retains the summer race at the newly resurfaced 1.54-mile speedway.
Additionally, Quaker State is announcing a new alliance with one of the hottest teams in NASCAR, Trackhouse Racing, and their two NCS teams, the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Ross Chastain and No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Daniel Suárez.
“Today is a great day for the Quaker State brand,” said Steve Reindl, VP of Shell Lubricants North America. “We are very proud to extend our relationship with Atlanta Motor Speedway and SMI, one of the longest running in the series in modern history. Additionally, we are thrilled to be joining forces with Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Pitbull, Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain.”
“Since its reconfiguration, Atlanta now hosts two of the most intense and intriguing races all year. Add the fact that we are forming a new relationship with one of the fiercest up-and-coming teams in the Cup Series – and we have a lot to be excited about starting this year,” said Reindl.
NASCAR champions Kurt Busch and Chase Elliott have won each running of the Quaker State 400 on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s quad-oval in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Brad Keselowski was a three-time winner of the 267-lap race at Kentucky Speedway. Kyle Busch, who earned the first Cup victory at the racetrack in 2011, and Martin Truex Jr. each won twice.
Eleven of the 12 Quaker State 400 races have been won by a current or former NASCAR Cup champion. Rookie Cole Custer, in 2020, was the exception.
“The Quaker State 400 and Atlanta Motor Speedway share a storied history of exciting NASCAR action,” said Atlanta Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison. “We’re looking forward to our first Quaker State 400 under the lights at AMS this summer and we’re thrilled to have Quaker State partnering with us to deliver incredible race weekend experiences for years to come.”
Trackhouse Racing, which was a single car team in the 2021 season, acquired Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR assets at the end of the year, which enabled the team to expand to two full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries. Trackhouse experienced a breakout year in 2022 under its expansion, with both drivers finding victory lane and the NASCAR playoffs.
Suárez and Chastain have started strong in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, earning multiple top-10 finishes in the first four races in their Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s.
In the agreement with Trackhouse, Quaker State will have branding on both cars and driver uniforms throughout the 2023 season. Quaker State will also be the primary sponsor on the No. 99 driven by Suárez at the NCS race at Richmond Raceway in April and the Quaker State 400 at AMS in July.
“Quaker State represents everything we hoped to attract when we started Trackhouse Racing,” said team founder and owner Justin Marks. “A powerful, globally-recognized brand, that is committed to our racing team, as well as elevating our drivers in unique and engaging ways. Retail programs, guest hosting, influencer cross-overs and promotions really excite me as an owner because it continues to tell our collective stories. Additionally, the technical alliance is really important to our core product, which is delivering fast race cars each week that compete for wins and championships. As a racing historian, it is truly humbling just to carry the “Q” and colors on our race cars.”
The Quaker State brand has a long history with NASCAR and has enjoyed unprecedented success with some of its top race teams. Quaker State motor oil has been in NASCAR drivers’ engines for more than 7 million on-track miles, and more than 170 victories by some of the most-recognized drivers. Quaker State motor oils have helped deliver championships at each of the three levels of NASCAR, including 10 NASCAR Cup Series Championships.
Quaker State’s high-quality full synthetic motor oils are specially formulated to deliver strong engine performance and are designed to protect today’s sophisticated engines. As high-efficiency engines continue to develop and require low-viscosity oils, Quaker State will be ready to meet today’s requirements and prepare for future engine technology.