CONCORD, N.C. – Emphasizing a relationship that has spanned more than 40 years, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) has teamed up with WIX Filters to incorporate the WIX brand and the familiar Petty Blue paint scheme on the No. 43 Ford Fusion for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). AJ Allmendinger will pilot the No. 43 WIX Filters machine this weekend at CMS.

In addition, WIX will continue as the official filter of Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011.

WIX Filter’s history in racing started with NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, who began using the product to protect his stock car engines in 1967. WIX partnered with Petty to win his second NASCAR championship that season, and WIX filtration technology went on to help him win five more throughout his illustrious career.

“WIX Filters and I have enjoyed a long history together,” said team owner Petty. “In this day and age you don’t very often come across companies that have stood behind one person for such a long time and that’s one of the things that makes the partnership between WIX, me and Richard Petty Motorsports so special.

“WIX makes great products and we’re happy to use them in our race cars. Seeing the WIX Filters logo on that Petty Blue car brings back a lot of good memories. We won a lot of races together. It’ll be up to AJ to get it done this time around, but it would certainly be great to be able to meet that Petty Blue Ford in Victory Lane and celebrate with them once again.”

“I’m excited about this WIX Ford Fusion for Charlotte,” said AJ Allmendinger. “It’s an awesome looking car and I think it’s great to be able to highlight the long-standing relationship between WIX and Richard. I hope I’m still associated with them 40 years from now, but in the meantime, I’ll just do everything I can to get this WIX Ford into Victory Lane.”

“The WIX Filters car you will see this weekend in Charlotte is really something special for all the people and customers involved with WIX. We have an opportunity to associate the WIX Filters brand with three iconic things in NASCAR, Richard Petty, the number 43 and the Petty Blue color,” said Jeff Blocher, brand manager for WIX Filters.

Visit the WIX Filters website for more information.