Atwood-sponsored car to race at Talladega Saturday

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, October 11, 2000

A Vicksburg company will get some big-time exposure at NASCAR’s biggest, fastest track.

Atwood Chevrolet has agreed to a one-race associate sponsorship deal with ARCA series driver Robert Burroughs for Saturday’s Winn Dixie 300 at Talladega. The Atwood logo will appear on the left rear of the car. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The race, part of the ARCA Super Speedway Challenge series, will be taped and televised nationally Sunday on ESPN2 at 5 p.m., and again at 3 a.m. on Oct. 19.

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“We’re pretty excited, being that we’re pretty race-oriented around here,” Atwood president Alan Atwood said.

“It’s kind of a strange feeling. I hope all the race fans that came out here to see the cars will watch the race.”

The deal came about as a result of an appearance Burroughs made at the dealership in September. Burroughs, a Laurel resident and the only Mississippi driver on the ARCA circuit, welcomed Atwood’s offer for a Mississippi sponsor.

“It’s real important to me. I’m a Mississippi guy, I own a business here and I race here,” said Burroughs, who drives the Cooper Tires No. 53 car.

“My effort is a total Mississippi effort … I like to put a lot of emphasis on it, and that’s why I like to see people like Alan Atwood step forward.”

If Burroughs’ previous races on super speedways are any indication, Atwood may get his money’s worth. Burroughs has posted two top-10 finishes, at Daytona and Michigan, while running a limited schedule this season.

Burroughs, who will also run at Atlanta in November and plans to run the full ARCA schedule next season, also finished 10th at Talladega last year, giving him a stretch of three top-10 finishes in a row that included a career-best eighth at Michigan.

“(Atwood’s) guys are all friendly and nice to work with, and we want to put on a good show,” Burroughs said. “We’re real optimistic. We should run good there.”