WELCOME, N.C. (February 15, 2012) - Richard Childress Racing and K&N Engineering, Inc., the inventor and leading innovator of reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications, have reached agreement on a multi-year partnership for ECR Engines' NASCAR program.
The technical partnership provides ECR Engines with K&N Engineering air and oil filters as well as research and development support. K&N Engineering will receive marketing rights to Richard Childress Racing's drivers, cars and teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. All RCR race cars will be adorned with the K&N decal through the NASCAR Contingency Sponsor program as well as having the K&N logo under the hood of every car.
"K&N is thrilled to be partnering with Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines," said Steve Williams, vice president for K&N Engineering. "RCR has been so successful in NASCAR and has such a great group of drivers in all three major series. We are looking forward to providing K&N high flow air filters and oil filters, as well as additional engineering support to assist ECR Engines."
RCR has earned 14 major stock car racing championships, including six NASCAR Cup Series titles (1986-87, 1990-91, 1993-94) with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. In 2011, the grandsons of RCR president and CEO Richard Childress earned championships in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Austin Dillon) and the ARCA Series presented by Menards (Ty Dillon). ECR Engines earned 101 victories in the past two racing seasons (2010-2011). Victories came in all three of NASCAR main touring series, including the Daytona 500 (2010) and Brickyard 400 (2010-2011). ECR Engines also took checkered flags in the Grand-Am Series Daytona Prototype division, SCCA Trans-Am Series, and multiple dirt track series.
"The potential of any engine relies on its air and oil filtering systems and K&N Engineering provides the performance and reliability we demand at ECR Engines," said Richie Gilmore, chief operating officer of ECR Engines. "The relationship between the RCR, ECR Engines and K&N Engineering has started off great and we look forward to only strengthening our partnership as the season continues."
For more information on today's announcement, and all that's happening at RCR, please visit rcrracing.com.
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About K&N
K&N Engineering, of Riverside, California, is the inventor and leading innovator of reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications. From humble beginnings as a family run business over 40 years ago, K&N Engineering, now a truly global company with offices in the U.K. and the Netherlands, continues to exist as a family owned business with an enthusiast mindset and a direct connection with motor sports that carries over throughout all levels of management and manufacturing.
Today, K&N exists as both the sales and brand leader for performance filters, and maintains a stocking catalogue of over 3,500 part numbers, including an extensive line of both factory replacement drop-in filters, FIPK (Fuel Injection Performance Kit) applications, and its line of innovative Performance Gold oil filters.
About Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its current Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John's Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial Chevrolet), 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Advocare/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick/Brendan Gaughan/Paul Menard (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Armour/Fast Fixin'/ Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. and Brendan Gaughan (No. 2 Potomac Family Dining Group/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet), Joey Coulter (No. 22 RCR/Armour Chevrolet) and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion Ty Dillon (No.3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) compete in the Camping World Truck Series season.
About ECR Engines
ECR Engines is a high performance engine production and research-and-development company at the Richard Childress Racing facility in Welcome, N.C. ECR provides engines for NASCAR teams like Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Furniture Row Raciing, Tommy Baldwin Racing and others. ECR also produces engines used in all of the Chevrolet Corvettes which compete in the 2012 Grand Am Series Daytona Prototype division, as well as the ARCA Racing Series, SCCA, dirt and asphalt short track, and sprint car racing. ECR Engines earned 51 victories in 2011, including the Brickyard 400 for the second consecutive year, and championships in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.
