Realtree Congratulates Daytona 500 Pole Winners
OutdoorHub 02.19.14
Realtree Camouflage congratulates NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Austin Dillon for his incredible effort putting Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet on the 2014 Daytona 500 Pole.
“This is a great story for Richard Childress Racing, for Austin Dillon and his family, for Dale Earnhardt’s legacy and for NASCAR fans everywhere,” said Realtree Designer and President Bill Jordan. “When you look at how all the dots got connected on this one, it’s just unreal.”
The short version goes like this. Team owner Richard Childress decided the timing was right to re-introduce the No. 3 Chevrolet – famously driven by Dale Earnhardt to six of his seven Sprint Cup Championships. So, Childress put his grandson, Austin Dillon, who has driven an RCR Nationwide Chevy and Camping World Truck Series Silverado to recent championships, behind the wheel. In his Sprint Cup debut, Austin drove the No. 3 Chevrolet to the Daytona 500 Pole.
“I have never heard Richard happier,” Jordan continued. “We talked by phone that afternoon after pole qualifying, and you could really hear the excitement in his voice.”
Along with Chevrolet, Realtree is RCR’s longest-running sponsor, having been an associate sponsor on the No. 3 and No. 29 Chevy Sprint Cup cars since 1997. Realtree has even had the primary sponsor spot on several RCR Sprint Cup cars at Bristol and Talladega. In addition, Realtree is involved with NASCAR in many other ways:
- Since the mid-1990s, Realtree has partnered with what is now Motorsports Authentics on a variety of NASCAR-related products, including t-shirts, caps, die-cast collectibles and numerous other souvenirs. Realtree camo products featuring drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards are sold trackside at each NASCAR race on the Realtree Souvenir Rig. On other trackside souvenir rigs fans can find Realtree camo on products featuring Ryan Newman, Martin Truex, Jr., Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Danica Patrick, Brad Keselowski and others. In addition, fans can find many of these products in the NASCAR.com Superstore.
- In 2008 “Realtree’s Driven to Hunt” television show began airing on ESPN. Since 2011 the racing/hunting show concept has been called “Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors,” which airs on Outdoor Channel and features drivers, team owners, crew members and television announcers on outdoor adventures across the country.
- Realtree also continues its partnership with Kevin Harvick, who will feature Realtree on his helmet throughout the 2014 season. Realtree has been with Harvick since 1999. Harvick is also featured regularly on “Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors.”
“Realtree’s partnerships and friendships in and around NASCAR have really helped our business,” Jordan said. “We’ve been able to reach our customers in ways we never could have otherwise, and we’ve generated business with companies like Chevrolet, New Holland, Reese’s, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Shell Oil, Peak Motor Oil and Antifreeze, Grime Boss, Husky Liners, Caterpillar and Budweiser. It’s been a great run for us, and we have every intention of continuing to grow our business through our NASCAR connections. Richard and I go back a long way. We wish RCR the best in the coming year.”
