ROANOKE, Va. – Advance Auto Parts has announced it will become the title sponsor of Monster Jam in a multi-year relationship. Advance Auto Parts and Monster Jam have a long-standing relationship dating back to 1997 in Florida. Advance Auto Parts began its national partnership with Monster Jam in 2004 and became the “Official Auto Parts Retailer” of all Monster Jam events in the United States, while holding that designation until this transition to the title sponsorship.
All Monster Jam events include monster truck racing and freestyle competition as well as other elements such as: Thrill acts, Quad Wars, Pro Stadium/Arena Truck competition and other motor sports elements.
In addition to the series becoming the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam, Advance is also becoming the primary sponsor of a brand new monster truck, Grinder, which will be driven by Lupe Soza, the 2004 Monster Jam World Finals Freestyle Champion. Previously, Soza drove El Toro Loco, of which Advance was an associate sponsor. He has been racing for 23 years, with the last eight of those years being in Monster Jam. The Advance Auto Parts Grinder Race Team, piloted by Soza, will make its Monster Jam debut at the Minneapolis Metrodome this Saturday, Dec. 5.
Feld Motor Sports promotes and produces more than 125 Monster Jam events and 325 performances per year with more than 4 million event attendees worldwide and has a national television presence on the SPEED Channel and CBS Sports.
As a result of their relationship, Advance and Monster Jam will be incorporating even greater support for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation at select events, through a variety of special events designed to raise funds to “crush” juvenile diabetes. Since 1994, Advance Auto Parts has raised more than $20 million for JDRF and is one of that organization’s largest corporate supporters.
“As we have previously announced, our marketing and advertising efforts will continue to be primarily focused on building our DIY business with traffic-driving programs and supporting the growth of our Commercial business, and we feel that Monster Jam is a perfect fit for our strategies,” said Greg Johnson, senior vice president, general manager – DIY and chief marketing officer. “Monster Jam’s tour footprint aligns very well with Advance’s retail footprint across the nation. We are also excited to partner with Lupe as he takes the wheel of the Advance Auto Parts Grinder Monster Truck. He is an endearing person with a positive attitude and a great driver as well. Similar to our Team Members, Lupe knows how important it can be to go above and beyond and put extra effort in to everything that he does. In addition, Lupe has a passion for vehicles and is an enthusiastic DIYer, like so many of our loyal customers across the country.”
“The long-standing relationship between Advance Auto Parts and Feld Motor Sports speaks volumes of the commitment they have to Monster Jam,” said Charlie Mancuso, president, Feld Motor Sports. “Since our relationship with Advance Auto Parts began, they have continued to raise their commitment level to Monster Jam and we are extremely proud to have them as the property’s title sponsor.”
“I have been around Monster Jam for 23 years, and the opportunity to showcase the Advance Auto Parts Grinder monster truck is an amazing accolade to my career,” said Soza. “This is an opportunity that I look forward to as I start the next chapter of my career with a sponsor that shares the same dedication to Monster Jam as I do. I also love working on my own vehicles and enjoy the shopping experience at Advance Auto Parts to help me ‘do it myself!’”
Additional information about the Advance Auto Parts title sponsorship of Monster Jam as well as photos of the Advance Auto Parts Grinder Monster Truck and Lupe Soza can be found at www.AdvanceAutoParts.com/MonsterJam. Additionally, you can log on to www.facebook.com/grindertruck to become a fan of Grinder.
