Speed Stick® and NASCAR Driver Cole Whitt Join Premium Motorsports in 2016 Season

No. 98 to Feature Speed Stick® brand, Mark Hillman Will Lead Team as Crew Chief

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Mar 03, 2016, 09:00 ET

MOORESVILLE, N.C., March 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Up-and-coming NASCAR driver Cole Whitt will pilot the Premium Motorsports No. 98 in the 2016 season with ongoing support from Speed Stick®. Whitt and the No. 98 Speed Stick® brand team will make their first appearance on track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 4-6.

"I'm really excited and grateful for the opportunity to go racing with Premium Motorsports and continue my relationship with Speed Stick®," Whitt said. "Jay Robinson is a smart businessman and has grown his team the right way over the years, and I'm really looking forward to being a part of that growth. The 2015 season was great for me as a driver. We had some important personal victories and some areas where we'll want to improve."

The 24-year-old Whitt will enter his third full-time Sprint Cup Series season after progressively climbing the NASCAR racing ranks of the Nationwide, Camping World Truck and K&N series. The Alpine, California native made his transition to stock cars after an early career in open-wheel racing, which included a 2008 U.S. Auto Club National Midget championship.

Speed Stick® is also on board to support Whitt this NASCAR season. "Cole Whitt continues to embody the traits that we champion at Speed Stick®," said Bill Van de Graaf, Vice President and General Manager, U.S. Personal Care, Colgate-Palmolive. "In the last two years, he has impressed fans, teammates and adversaries by continuously stepping up in high-pressure situations. Achieving dreams takes courage when it counts and the Speed Stick® brand is excited to be at Cole's side as he reaches for new heights."

Known for its line of high-performing antiperspirants and deodorants, Speed Stick® previously sponsored Cole during his rookie and sophomore years and connected with fans by documenting the driver's first race at the Daytona 500 through a unique, online video series.

"I feel honored to have the support of a great sponsor like Speed Stick® and I look to building on previous year's successes," said Whitt. "The Speed Stick® brand is all about reminding guys that they are ready to step-up when it really matters. I can't think of a better partner for a young driver like myself."

In addition to this month's Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, Speed Stick® brand sponsored races this year will include high-profile events such as the 400-mile event at Kentucky Speedway in July, the Crown Royal 400 at the Brickyard at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway also in July, and the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway in November.

"This is an exciting time for Premium Motorsports," said team owner Jay Robinson. "Adding Cole Whitt to our program, along with the support of the Speed Stick® team, is another big step in our growth as a young team. We're going to have a diverse mix of experience with our drivers, which, I think, is going to be a big benefit for everyone."

About Premium Motorsports:
Premium Motorsports is a race-winning organization competing in the NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series. In the Sprint Coup Series the team currently fields No. 98 of Cole Whitt. In the Camping World Truck Series the team currently fields the No. 49 of Timmy Hill. The team is owned by Jay Robinson, and is headquartered just outside of Charlotte, N.C. Visit premiummotorsports.net

About Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Speed Stick, Lady Speed Stick, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom's of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Fabuloso, Soupline and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet, Hill's Prescription Diet and Hill's Ideal Balance. For more information about Colgate's global business, visit the Company's web site at http://www.colgatepalmolive.com. To learn more about Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® oral health education program, please visit http://www.colgatebsbf.com.

SOURCE Colgate-Palmolive