Zippo Manufacturing Company recently signed their multi-year renewal of the Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series entitlement at Watkins Glen International. Zippo has been a premier partner of The Glen since 1993, and is currently the longest continuous sponsor of Watkins Glen International. Now in its tenth year, the Zippo 200 is the third longest running Nationwide Series race under the same name and sponsorship. This season marks the 10th anniversary of Zippo’s entitlement of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race during The Glen’s traditional NASCAR race weekend in August.
“Zippo has been a fantastic partner for more than 20 years and we are thrilled to continue that relationship,” said WGI President Michael Printup. “Both the Zippo and Watkins Glen International brands are known for their quality of product, history and longevity. Words cannot express our gratitude for their renewal or the excitement that we feel as we prepare to celebrate this 10th anniversary sponsorship milestone. We know that our fans love their products, so their involvement with our track over the years is a real benefit to everyone involved.”
Zippo’s partnership with Watkins Glen International began in 1993 when they became inaugural sponsor of the U.S. Vintage Grand Prix event, now one of the largest vintage racing events in the United States. In 2005, Zippo increased its support of The Glen when it took on title sponsorship of the Zippo 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
“From the beginning, our partnership with WGI has been a great fit for both of us,” commented Greg Booth, Zippo president and CEO. “Racing fans, especially NASCAR fans, have the same loyalty and passion for their sport as Zippo lighter fans have for our product. The introduction of our Zippo Outdoor line of products makes even more sense as we reach out to the thousands of avid fans who pack the campgrounds during race weekend at the Glen.”
Zippo Manufacturing Company is located in nearby Bradford, PA, approximately two hours to the southwest of the historic racetrack. Zippo has unveiled many of their new products at WGI during the NASCAR weekends, including the award-winning Zippo refillable handwarmer. In 2011, they debuted the Zippo Jeep, a 2011 Jeep Wrangler modified by West Coast Customs to embody the attributes of the Zippo brand and serve as promotional ambassador for the emerging Zippo Outdoor line of products. The Zippo Hot Spot is one of the most popular interactive vendor displays on manufacturers’ row, offering new product challenges and demonstrations, lighter fill-ups, minor repairs, and a wide selection of Zippo windproof lighters.
In honor of this major milestone, The Glen is proud to present a new 10-year logo for this year’s edition of Zippo 200. Zippo Manufacturing Company will also be producing a commemorative item for fans to bid on at the Zippo 200 on August 9, with all proceeds to be donated to charity.
WGI PR
