Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / TONY STEWART RACING – BROWNSBURG, IN – Tony Stewart and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing (TSR) are pleased to announce that Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers, will continue its dedicated role within TSR in 2020 ultimately boosting its position to a primary sponsor within the championship-proven motorsports organization.
With the goal of increasing its awareness as a provider of quality parts, service and solutions to the ever-growing grass roots racing community, Advance and its family of brands, including Advance Professional, Carquest and TechNet Professional Automotive Service, will be primary partners for TSR during the new year and will be carried by 10-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz, and Tony Stewart Racing team-owner, Tony Stewart.
“We’re excited to continue our sponsorship with Tony Stewart and TSR,” said Michael Cooper, Senior Vice President, Professional Sales. “Tony Stewart and TSR are synonymous with winning and we are committed to supporting this team and look forward to a successful partnership on and off the track.”
Advance Professional, a secondary partner of TSR during much of the 2019 season, will now have primary placement on the familiar No. 15 piloted by Schatz. With plans to alternate the family of brands connected to Advance, Schatz will also represent Carquest, a network of more than 1,200 retail stores operated by independent partners servicing professional and DIY customer and Technet, a group of elite, locally-owned and professionally operated shops, on an occasional basis during the upcoming season.
Schatz will carry Advance Professional during the 2020 World of Outlaws season opener/DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Florida, on February 7-9. In addition to World of Outlaws success, the Fargo, North Dakota-native is a former DIRTcar Nationals champion, most recently winning four of five features to claim in the overall title in 2018; two during All Star Circuit of Champions action and two during World of Outlaws competition.
“I’m very proud to be carrying the Advance Professional, Carquest, TechNet and Advance Auto Parts colors this year,” said Schatz. “The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series touches many regions of our country each season and we’re proud to have the opportunity to showcase the Advance family of brands to our fans. These are iconic automotive brands and we’re looking forward to being part of the next chapter of their motorsports history.”
Stewart, who competed in 65 sprint car events in 2019 while accumulating ten victories across 360c.i. and 410c.i. competition, will carry Advance Auto Parts as his primary partner during the upcoming season, launching the year with a tentative open wheel slate in the Sunshine State, potentially joining the All Star Circuit of Champions during events at Volusia Speedway Park and East Bay Raceway Park during their respective DIRTcar Nationals and Winternationals schedules.
“We’re very proud to become a part of the motorsports initiatives of the Advance Professional, Carquest, TechNet and Advance Auto Parts brands,” said Tony Stewart. “These brands have a long and storied history of success and as the audience of sprint car racing continues to evolve, we hope to aid the Advance group in writing a new chapter in marketing and consumer reach.
“This season marks the start of a new decade and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing’s third in the sport of sprint car racing,” Stewart continued. “We’re excited to begin working with everyone within the Advance family and help give sprint car racing fans a new brand to explore and utilize.”