Texan Wins Valvoline Winston Cup Ford Taurus
10 November 1998
Texan Wins Valvoline Winston Cup Ford TaurusDelivery of Mark Martin's Race-Ready SynPower Car Thrills Adults and Children Alike in Tiny Texas Town DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas, Nov. 9 /PR Newswire/ -- The Valvoline Company dropped into Dripping Springs, Texas, Monday to put the tiny town on the map and make resident Scott Davis the envy of auto racing fans around the world. Valvoline delivered to the Davis family driveway NASCAR superstar Mark Martin's 750-horsepower Winston Cup Ford Taurus--the grand prize in Valvoline's SynPower Race Car Sweepstakes. Davis said he has his 3-1/2 year-old son Spencer to thank for winning the sweepstakes, which attracted about 150,000 entries nationwide. Davis entered the sweepstakes after his son insisted he buy Valvoline's new SynPower Complete Fuel System Treatment, which featured an in-pack Hot Wheels model of the SynPower Taurus. Davis, who won by random drawing in September, was announced the winner Oct. 25 in a press conference with Martin and Valvoline President Jim O'Brien at Phoenix International Raceway prior to that day's Winston Cup race. "I use Valvoline products and Spencer has a big Hot Wheels collection. He had to have the SynPower model," Davis, 34, said. "I sent in the entry form to win the real car. When I was told I won, I couldn't believe it. Sometimes I still don't believe it. To be honest, I forgot that I had even entered. It's one of those sweepstakes that you never think anyone is really going to win. I'm just glad Spencer wanted that Hot Wheels replica." There's no replication regarding dad's prize -- the Roush Racing-built car is the real deal. Martin raced JR-64 10 times -- including his first career win at the "Monster Mile" at Dover Downs International Speedway -- before turning it over to Davis. It is the second time Valvoline has given away a pedigreed Winston Cup race car. Last year, Valvoline made NASCAR history by becoming the first sponsor to give a consumer a race-ready Winston Cup car -- Martin's Ford Thunderbird. "We thought we would arm this year's winner with yet another bragging point by giving away a car that actually has won a race," O'Brien said. "This is part of the romance of Winston Cup racing -- bringing sponsors, teams and drivers together with the fans. We can't think of a better way to do it than to actually put a fan in the driver's seat -- literally -- and own a car." In addition to having a pedigree, the car also is unique in that it is painted in the flashy SynPower champagne color scheme that Martin raced only once, at the 1998 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in support of Valvoline's SynPower Performance Products, a new line of synthetic automotive chemicals. "This has been a really strong car for us; we're gonna miss it," Martin said. "Scott definitely is getting some 'hot' wheels, and it's even more valuable because we only raced this paint scheme once before permanently retiring it. He has the ultimate NASCAR collectible." Dripping Springs, about 20 miles west of Austin, Texas, was electric this morning when Valvoline delivered the car to the Davis home. Dozens of Dripping Springs residents (population 1,100) greeted the car, including young Spencer and his preschool classmates. Davis is not sure what he's going to do with the car, but it's a question he doesn't mind struggling with. "People keep asking me what I'm going to do with it. I don't know what to tell them," he said. "This is my first NASCAR Winston Cup racer. Maybe next time I'll have a more prepared answer. I do know this, Spencer's going to have a really cool car to take to the prom when he grows up!" Valvoline motor oil is the No. 1 choice of top mechanics for use in their own vehicles. Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc., has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil company and is a leading innovator and supplier of quality, high-performing automotive and industrial products in more than 100 countries. Best known for its lubricants, Valvoline also markets Eagle One appearance products, Zerex antifreeze/coolant, SynPower Performance Products and Pyroil automotive chemicals and refrigerants. For more information about Valvoline, visit the company's Web site at http://www.valvoline.com.