BLUEFIELD, Va. (WVVA) – A local company is looking to make its mark on the big stage of NASCAR racing.
Blue Wolf, a manufacturer and supplier of cleaning products headquartered in Bluefield, Virginia, is the primary sponsor of the No. 32 race car in the ARCA (Auto Racing Club of America) NASCAR series, which will run in Friday night's nationally televised race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Although the product is well known locally, Blue Wolf president and co-owner Shawn Lester wanted to expand awareness.
“We’ve been manufacturing industrial-strength, professional-grade chemical products for this region since 1986,” he says, and the products have become popular by word of mouth.
“Last year, we decided that in order to continue to grow, we needed to expand into other markets,” he said, starting the process through his marketing group, rebranding and repackaging the product. , adopted a new look and new marketing strategy.
“Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet with everyone at AM Racing in Statesville, North Carolina.”
Everything worked out, and Lester said it felt like a good fit.
Lester said the driver of the No. 32 car was West Virginia native Christian Rose, and the car's primary sponsor was the West Virginia Department of Tourism, so they were all based in West Virginia.
“We have reached an agreement to sponsor Christian at the races and also help promote the brand to new markets through NASCAR channels,” he said.
Blue Wolf will receive its first “full car” sponsorship in Friday night's race, which will start at 6 p.m. and be televised on FS1.
“We're really excited about this and we're going to be rooting for him. This is one of the biggest races of the year and it's the first time we're participating in this. We'll be sponsoring every car in the race. I never dreamed of it,” Lester said.
Rose is third in points so far this season in the ARCA series, which has been a gateway to the top NASCAR drivers for decades.
Lester and his business partner Jeff Klein announced they will be distributing samples of their product to teams, garages and campers during the race weekend in Charlotte. The race includes a Craftsman Truck Series race held on Friday night at the high-speed mile and a half track. Saturday's ARCA race, an Xfinity race that includes another AM racing car driven by Haley Deegan, and Sunday's World 600, one of the crown jewels of the NASCAR Cup Series.
Though the company is expanding its marketing division, its roots are all local.
Lester said the plant was founded by S.T. Altizer in Jewel Ridge, Tazewell County, in 1986 and gradually grew over the years, relocating to nearby Camp Joy and then in 2015 to the Bluefield Industrial Park in Virginia.
Lester acquired the company in 2005 and moved it to Camp Joy Road and then to a larger facility in Bluefield.
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