Viking Motorsports (VMS) announced today two major partnerships that will anchor the team’s expansion to a two-car operation in the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. DUDE Wipes will continue its long-standing relationship with Anthony Alfredo on the No. 96 Chevrolet, while FUNKAWAY extends its partnership with Parker Retzlaff on the No. 99 Chevrolet.

Both partners will serve as the primary sponsors for their respective drivers to kick off the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway for the United Rentals 300 on February 14, 2026.

DUDE Wipes, the flushable wipes brand that has become a staple in NASCAR, returns to support Alfredo for a seventh consecutive season. The partnership, which began in 2020, has evolved into one of the most recognizable driver-sponsor combinations in the garage. For the 2026 campaign, DUDE Wipes will serve as the primary partner on the No. 96 Chevrolet for over 10 races.

“We have built something truly special with Anthony over the last seven years, and it’s been incredible to watch him grow as a driver while our brand has grown alongside him,” said Ryan Meegan, Co-Founder and CMO of DUDE Wipes. “Viking Motorsports is building a serious program, and we are thrilled to be part of this next chapter with Anthony and the No. 96 team. We can’t wait to get down to Daytona and keep the momentum rolling.”

FUNKAWAY, the extreme odor eliminator brand, returns for its fifth year partnering with Parker Retzlaff. Since first joining forces with Retzlaff in 2022, FUNKAWAY has supported the young driver’s rise through the NASCAR ranks. FUNKAWAY will be featured on the No. 99 Chevrolet for multiple races throughout the 2026 season.

“Parker has been a fantastic ambassador for FUNKAWAY since day one, and it is exciting to see him take this next step with Viking Motorsports,” said Kyle Bolke, President of FUNKAWAY. “Our partnership has always been about performance and reliability—values that Parker demonstrates every time he gets behind the wheel. We are proud to be on the No. 99 car at Daytona to start our fifth season together.”

The announcement solidifies Viking Motorsports’ commercial foundation as it fields two full-time entries in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome DUDE Wipes and FUNKAWAY to the Viking Motorsports family,” said Jeremy Lange, General Manager of Viking Motorsports. “To have two partners with such deep roots in NASCAR and long-standing loyalty to Anthony and Parker speaks volumes about the character of our drivers and the potential of our program. We are honored to carry these brands on track and look forward to a successful season ahead.”

Viking Motorsports looks forward to sharing future partnership announcements in the coming weeks.

Viking Motorsports PR

Scott Woodruff doesn’t have a title at the nascent International Hot Rod Association but if you have to call him something, ‘Woody’ probably wouldn’t balk at ‘director of fun’ because that is generally what Darryl Cuttell has asked him to do.

For over two decades, he was the brand and media manager at JEGS Performance but he preferred the ‘make stuff happen guy’ title.  

Nevertheless, Cuttell has made quite the splash in the North American Motorsports scene over the past 13 months in acquiring the IHRA brand and then expanding it to nearly every facet of the industry with a dizzying number of acquisitions.

He has purchased nearly a dozen drag strips and began promoting an expanded national tour with larger payouts and increased fanfare. IHRA has acquired a powerboat racing series and launched a Late Model tour set to begin in April.

Read more: Everything you need to know about IHRA Stock Cars

As part of the latter, IHRA leased dormant Pulaski County Motorsports Park in Virgina and purchased Memphis International Speedway in Tennessee. Most recently, it acquired Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina, which brings it into NASCAR’s orbit as they will host a second-year Easter weekend event for the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series.

In short, Woodruff says his job is ‘to make racing fun again’ across all the divisions and properties Cuttell has started to accumulate like Infinity Stones.

“For a lot of endeavors like this, funding is the big issue,” Woodruff told Motorsport.com on Thursday. “Funding is not our issue. It’s got to be the right people in the right place. Right now, we’re in the middle of a big two-day planning session and the questions we get to ask ourselves is ‘what would we want as fans,’ or ‘what would we want as competitors,’ or as partners.”

Funding, by the way, is not an issue because Cuttell is the CEO and president of Darana Hybrid — the electro-mechanical company most famous for doing contract work with xAI, SpaceX and Tesla.

His Stock Car Series race director, Tim Horton, said the acquisition spree is about Cuttell’s personal legacy.

“He’s purchased seven or eight drag strips now, repurposed them, and made deep investments into the infrastructure of the sport,” Horton said. “This is his passion. He views it as a chance to establish a legacy. He’s done really well with his business and this is his idea of fun. He owns several drag cars, power boats. He loves motorsport.”

So, Cuttell absolutely has deep pockets but there also is a natural skepticism that someone that has amassed such a fortune would want to spend it in an industry that doesn’t historically have a high return on investment.

That’s especially true of track ownership and operating regional touring divisions. As the old adage goes, to make a small fortune in motorsports, you have to begin with a large one and Cuttell certainly has the latter.

At face value, spending millions of dollars on nearly a dozen facilities and numerous touring divisions looks like a loss leader by definition.

“Yeah, it’s not a loss leader,” Woodruff said. “It’s an investment. That’s what it is. If you look back and you say, ‘here’s this guy spending in areas that no one really wants to spend on,’ facilities and infrastructure and purses, nobody wants to do that.

“We’ve got someone that sees the power in that, sees the number of tracks with pedigree and history, and they’re going away so let’s get back in and re-energize them.

“He says ‘let’s plug the battery back in and get it recharged.’ We’re building the infrastructure so we can go race. Let’s go exceed people’s expectations, whether it’s on the track or off the track, that’s what our goal is.”

At first, Woodruff was a skeptic too.

Even upon his introduction to Cuttell, he wanted to know what would happen if IHRA failed, just to know what the plan would be as a matter of due diligence.

“One of the questions I asked him, one of the first, was what is your exit strategy or what is your disaster plan,” Woodruff said. “He said, ‘I don’t have one,’ and I asked ‘what do you mean,’ and he said he doesn’t fail.

“So, I said, ‘alright, let’s do this,’ and here we are.”

Why acquire Rockingham?

“Our goal is to use each facility that we have in the best interest of the fans,” Woodruff said. “And obviously, Rockingham, we would love nothing more than to start this long-term partnership with NASCAR, starting this year.

“Our goal is to work together. That’s just how we operate.”

That also means working with Track Enterprises and Bob Sargent, event promoters of the NASCAR weekend, who were also trying to purchase the track from previous owner Dan Lovenheim at the same time.

Doesn’t that make the relationship kind of awkward?

“Well, my last meeting was with Bob and he just walked out of the door and seemed pretty happy,” Woodruff said.

For his part, over text, Sargent agreed with the positive sentiment.  

Memphis International Speedway has a NASCAR national touring history as well. It hosted what is now the O’Reilly Series from 1999 to 2009 and the Truck Series from 1998 to 2009.

Woodruff conceded that NASCAR’s recent post-trial restructuring and the holidays has delayed their initial conversations but he’s looking forward to getting to work with them in a variety of capacities.

“We probably haven’t been high up on their priority list this past month,” Woodruff said. “But I do know that we’ve got a group that is meeting with them in the next week or two.

How has IHRA decided what to acquire out of all the options out there?

“Each situation is different and has different pluses and minuses,” Woodruff said. “We look at it as a group and then we decide ‘okay, on a scale of 1-10, how much do we want do this? Is this facility nice or is it necessary? That’s another conversation too. We’re trying to be good stewards of the sport and some of these tracks, we could have walked away and not purchased them, but a lot of them are crown jewels that just need a little bit of love.”

A skepticism of Cuttell from those who have interacted with him over his first year as IHRA owner is that he is just a free-spender without a vision. Woodruff pushed back on that too.

“There is absolutely a vision,” Woodruff said. “When he first hired me, we were in a side-by-side at Milan Drag Strip and we pulled up next to this pond. Darryl says he wants to ‘get rid of these trees’ and ‘put down some parking spots.’ He says he wants to install plug-ins for motorhomes and water/sewage.

“He immediately told me how far he wanted it to go and painted this detailed picture. I tell you this because he has a vision.

“Last year was just very reactionary. We have these events, and they came up on us fast, but now we have a lot more time to have it planned out for 2026. I think that is going to be a huge benefit for everything we’re doing.”

Full circle, working for Cuttell doesn’t mean meeting a bottom line, either. So how is success defined by the new IHRA?

“By smiles and happy people,” Woodruff said. “Everyone on staff at an IHRA event is wearing a blue shirt. Their job is to be there to help and make sure that everyone is having a good time.

“If you walk up to someone in a blue shirt, they’re going to be able to answer your question and help you out. They are going to be taken care of the way they would want to be taken care of. I know it sounds pretty simple, but it is, it’s really that simple.”

We want your opinion!

– The Motorsport.com Team

Stafford Motor Speedway is once again offering fans, race teams, and businesses the opportunity to be part of one of the most historic events in modified racing through the 2026 NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® Lap Sponsorship Program.

Each sponsored lap of the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® puts $100 up for grabs, split among the top three drivers on that lap with $50 to the leader, $30 to second place, and $20 to third place. With 100 laps available for sponsorship, there is a potential $10,000 lap sponsor prize pool, adding excitement and incentive throughout the 100-lap Spring Sizzler® event.

Get Your Spring Sizzler Lap

New for 2026, all lap sponsors will receive an exclusive Stephen Kopcik Spring Sizzler® commemorative trading card, featuring an authentic race-used piece of body panel from Kopcik’s car that captured the 2025 NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® victory. Kopcik’s triumph in the 2025 Spring Sizzler® earned him his first career win in the prestigious event, adding his name to the elite list of drivers to conquer Stafford’s signature race.

In addition, lap sponsors will also receive a limited-edition “60 Greatest Modified Drivers” commemorative poster, tying into Stafford Speedway’s recently announced celebration of the drivers selected for the expanded Greatest Modified Drivers list.

The 54th Annual NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® is scheduled for April 25–26, 2026, marking the official start of the 2026 racing season at Stafford Motor Speedway. NAPA Auto Parts Opening Day will take place on Saturday, April 25, followed by the 54th running of the NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler® (100 laps) on Sunday, April 26.

Lap sponsorships are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and premium laps traditionally sell quickly.

For more information on lap sponsorships or tickets for the 2026 NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or contact the Stafford Speedway office at 860-684-2783.

Stafford Speedway PR

Spire Motorsports and Michael McDowell will partner with Tibbetts Lumber Company for the season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

McDowell will represent the family-owned organization when he makes just his fifth career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start and second at the “World Center of Racing.” McDowell, a veteran of over 500 NASCAR Cup Series starts, is looking to capture his first series’ win at the controls of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST and add his name to the exclusive register of drivers who have earned victories across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Florida-based Tibbetts Lumber Company has grown into the largest independently-owned lumber and building materials supplier in the Sunshine State, while building its legacy as one of the largest roof and floor truss companies in the Southeast. Founded in 1949 by Linton N. Tibbetts, the Tibbetts team members live by the core values of faith, family, employee growth and development, integrity, and stewardship.

“Tibbetts Lumber Co. is thrilled to be the primary sponsor of the Spire Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Michael McDowell,” said Russ Hallenbeck, CEO of Tibbetts Lumber Company. “Being that we are headquartered in Florida, Daytona International Speedway has become a very special place for us come springtime. We are honored to be teaming up with Spire Motorsports and Michael this February.”

With over 5,400 customers served, and 838,000-plus customer deliveries, including McDowell, the Tibbetts family has continued to expand their reach of home remodeling and construction while offering competitive pricing and superior service.

“I have a great deal of respect for the Tibbetts Lumber team,” said McDowell, “They’ve helped me on my own property and their team truly combines outstanding service with a high-quality product. It’s special to have them racing with us at Daytona, and earning a win in all three national series is something I’ve wanted to make happen for a long time. I think we’ll have a real opportunity to do that on Friday night in Daytona in our Tibbetts Lumber Chevy Silverado.”

The 2021 Daytona 500 winner has collected one win, three top-five, and eight top-10 finishes in NASCAR’s premier division at the legendary high-banked Daytona Beach oval.

With nearly 540 NASCAR Cup Series starts under his belt, across 18 seasons, McDowell is regarded as one of the most respected drivers in the garage.

While the Glendale, Ariz., native continues to pursue his first victory since joining Spire Motorsports following the 2024 season, McDowell’s 2025 campaign featured career highs and firsts for the organization including two pole positions, a career-high three top-five finishes and six top-10 results. The NASCAR veteran also claimed the first stage win in team history at the Chicago Street Race last July.

The Fresh From Florida 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be televised live on FS1 Friday, Feb. 13 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The first of 25 races on the 2026 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Radio Network and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Spire Motorsports PR

Honda Genuine Oil and Chemical Brand “Pro Honda” to Serve as Title Sponsor –

TOKYO, Japan, January 9, 2026 – Honda has reached a sponsorship agreement with Honda LCR, which competes in the MotoGP class of the FIM* Grand Prix World Championship.

For the 2026 season, Honda LCR will campaign a two-bike lineup in MotoGP. Alongside Johann Zarco (France, age 35) aboard the CASTROL Honda LCR, the team will introduce a second entry titled Pro Honda LCR, with Pro Honda—Honda’s genuine oil and chemical brand—serving as title sponsor. Riding for Pro Honda LCR will be Diogo Moreira (Brazil, age 21), who captured the 2025 FIM Grand Prix World Championship Moto2 title.

*FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme

Lucio Cecchinello (left), Team Principal & CEO of Honda LCR,and Kotaro Shimizu (right), Executive Officer, Customer First Operations Division, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Under the Pro Honda brand, Honda made its first MotoGP appearance with Pro Honda liveries at the 2024 season finale, the Solidarity Grand Prix, in which Stefan Bradl (Germany, age 36) raced as a wildcard entry for the Honda HRC Test Team, riding the RC213V. During the 2025 season, Aleix Espargar (Spain, age 36), a test rider for Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), and Takaaki Nakagami (Chiba, Japan, age 33), competed in the MotoGP class as wildcard entries. Espargaro made four appearances and Nakagami two, for a total of six races, all entered by Honda HRC Test Team and raced in Pro Honda livery.

Pro Honda is Honda’s global unified brand of genuine oils and chemical products, developed to maximize the performance of Honda vehicles. Technologies honed under the extreme conditions of motorsports are fed back into commercial products, providing riders with confidence and reliability.

Kotaro Shimizu, Executive Officer, Customer First Operations Division, Automobile Business, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

“We are truly delighted to have entered into a sponsorship agreement with Honda LCR under the Pro Honda brand. Built on a strong relationship of trust with CEO Lucio Cecchinello and HRC, we will fully support the challenge undertaken by Diogo Moreira and Pro Honda LCR from the 2026 season onward, doing our utmost to contribute to both the team and the rider. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity, and as Honda’s genuine oil and chemical brand, Pro Honda will continue to deliver proven technology and reliability designed to maximize the performance of Honda vehicles, while communicating the value of Pro Honda to Honda users around the world.”

Lucio Cecchinello, Team Principal & CEO, Honda LCR

“Establishing a new partnership with Pro Honda, the official Honda brand for genuine oil and chemical products, represents a profoundly significant milestone for part of our project. By sharing common values, we are committed with this racing program to pursuing the perfect balance between competitive performance and reliability.”

Honda LCR Overview
Team Principal & CEO: Lucio Cecchinello
Founded: 1996
Base: Principality of Monaco
MotoGP class wins: 5

News URL: https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/104542/

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