Valvoline™ named official motor oil of the ARCA Racing Series

LEXINGTON, KY., Dec. 11, 2014 - Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America, Valvoline and TSMGI today announced that Valvoline™ would become the official motor oil of the ARCA Racing Series beginning in 2015.

The announcement, which took place at the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis, includes the news that Valvoline Pro-V Racing™ 0W30 motor oil will be the exclusive oil for use in the ARCA Ilmor 396 engine package.

"We are excited to be the official motor oil of the ARCA Racing Series, helping another generation of racers reach victory lane," said Jamal Muashsher, Valvoline's director of marketing. "Valvoline introduced our first motor oil specifically designed for racing in 1965, and we will be powering the ARCA Ilmor 396 engines in 2015 with our newest offering, Valvoline Pro-V Racing."

Ilmor engineers utilized the Pro-V Racing 0W30 motor oil extensively during the development, feasibility and durability testing of the ARCA Ilmor 396 this past fall, including extensive testing on the engine dyno, SpinTron, chassis dyno and on-track. Ilmor was convinced that the Pro-V Racing 0W30 was the right product to help Ilmor achieve the performance standards established.

"When ARCA informed us that they were negotiating with Valvoline to become the oil supplier for the ARCA Ilmor 396 engine program, we were enthused knowing full well that Valvoline products have been, and continue to be, very successful in many forms of motorsports," said Dave Dixon, Ilmor director of assembly operations. "This comes from Valvoline's passion for supporting the racing community and their commitment to formulating and producing great products. Together with the experienced staff at Valvoline, we chose to use their Pro-V Racing 0W30 formula for our rigorous development and durability testing. We have been extremely pleased with Valvoline's support and the test results to date. We have zero concerns with the ability of the engines to maintain rock-solid reliability and to withstand our extreme durability testing mode, which exceeds what the engines will experience in the hands of the racing teams. We can go forward into 2015 with confidence in the knowledge that Valvoline Pro-V Racing 0W30 oil is protecting the ARCA Ilmor 396 engines."

"Valvoline™ is a motorsports performance brand long synonymous with winning and on-track performance," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "So it was no surprise to us that the Valvoline Pro-V Racing™ product exceeded the high standards required to be featured as part of the ARCA Ilmor 396 engine package. We're especially pleased that Valvoline has elected to support the race teams and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards with a special awards and marketing program."

About Valvoline™
Valvoline is a leading, worldwide producer and distributor of premium-branded automotive, commercial and industrial lubricants, automotive chemicals and car-care products. It ranks as the #2 quick-lube chain and #3 passenger car motor oil brand in the United States. The brand operates and franchises approximately 920 Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM centers in the United States. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals; MaxLife™ lubricants created for higher-mileage engines; NextGen™ motor oil, created with 50-percent recycled, re-refined oil; SynPower™ synthetic motor oil; Eagle One™ and Car Brite™ automotive appearance products; and Zerex™ antifreeze. Visit valvoline.com to learn more.  

About ARCA
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.  For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com

About Ilmor
Ilmor Engineering is best known for its success in high performance engineering and motorsports. In addition to ongoing advancements in racing technologies, the company also supplies products to the marine industry and provides engineering consultancy services to major automotive OEMs. The Ilmor family of companies employs over 150 personnel worldwide at facilities in Michigan, North Carolina and the United Kingdom. For more information about Ilmor and its products and services, visit www.ilmor.com

Contact:
Valvoline - Michael Morrison: MWMorrison@ashland.com
Ilmor - Dave Dixon: dixond@ilmor.com
ARCA - Doug Donnelly: ddonnelly@arcaracing.com; Don Radebaugh: dradebaugh@arcaracing.com