WoO: Up Front Phone Cards to Sponsor Blevins
28 January 1998
BROKEN ARROW, OK - With hopes of pushing Lance Blevins to the front with the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series, Up Front Phone Cards, a division of Capital Telecommunications, Inc., announced their sponsorship agreement Monday.
"We expect to have a good time sponsoring Lance Blevins on the World of Outlaws' tour this year," George Kingsbury, chief executive officer of Capital Telecommunications, said. "This sponsorship will provide a means by which we can promote ourselves and it will give us an opportunity to take our customers to race tracks and have a good time."
Capital Telecommunications, Inc., is a provider of local, long-distance, Internet and frame-relay telephone services. Capital Telecommunications sold its 600,000th Up Front card recently. While the company's focus has been in the northeast, the pre-paid phone cards are being sold worldwide.
"I've always thought that Up Front would be a wonderful racing sponsor," Kingsbury added. "If we have a winner there; we can say, 'he's up front with Up Front.' I'm really looking forward to the season. We're happy to be involved with Lance Blevins and the World of Outlaws.
"We're not looking to become a household name as a result of the sponsorship. If business happens, that's a plus, but our primary focus is to have a good time."
The color scheme Blevins has used the last few years will change dramatically. The #21 J&J sprint car will be white with yellow, green, purple trim to match the Up Front Phone Card.
Blevins battled Joey Saldana for 1996 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year honors, and led the race for much of the season before finishing 150 points behind. Few racers ever hit the tour with as many family ties as Blevins. Cousin Andy Hillenburg has raced with the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series since 1988 and brother-in-law Stevie Smith joined the tour two years later. He finished 12th in the point standings in 1996 and 16th last year.
