Valvoline™ to sponsor JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series

Valvoline™ to sponsor JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series

Multi-year agreement includes official status and sponsorship of cars

Lexington, Ky. - Valvoline™, a leading marketer, distributor and producer of quality branded automotive and industrial products and services, today announced that it has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement with JR Motorsports. The sponsorship will kick off at the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway.

The Official Lubricants Supplier of JR Motorsports beginning in 2014, the Valvoline brand will be featured as an associate sponsor of the team's Chevrolet Camaro race cars. The company will utilize Nationwide Series drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Regan Smith and Chase Elliott to promote Valvoline premium motor oil products. In addition, JR Motorsports will use a specially designed Valvoline racing formulation in its Chevrolet racing engines.

"The Valvoline team is thrilled to serve as the technology partner to JR Motorsports," said Heidi Matheys, senior vice president of Valvoline's Do-It-Yourself channel. "This is a great opportunity to feature our innovative American brand of motor oil and extend our racing heritage and relationship with the Hendrick Motorsports family."

"We welcome this Valvoline partnership with open arms because it is an innovative American brand that has a great racing heritage and a winning motor oil race history," said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. "The Valvoline brand fits well within the fabric of our company. We have a great respect for its history in our sport and its impact in the automotive industry."

ABOUT VALVOLINE:
Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists for over 140 years. In addition to commercial and industrial lubricants, the Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One™ appearance products, Car Brite™ car restoration products, Zerex™ antifreeze, SynPower™ performance products, MaxLife™ products created for higher-mileage engines and NextGen™, created with 50-percent recycled oil. With approximately 900 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change^SM service centers are a leader in serving the quick lube market. For more information, please visit valvoline.com.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR's 11-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it has earned 12 victories since its inception in 2007. In 2012 the JRM late model program won the track title at Motor Mile Speedway with driver Josh Berry, giving the company its first championship. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit jrmracing.com or find us on Twitter (@JRMotorsports), Facebook, Instagram and Google+.

™Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries
^SMService mark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Kendra Overbeck, Valvoline
859-815-3056
koverbeck@ashland.com

Mike Davis, JR Motorsports
704-799-4851
mdavis@dalejr.com