AUSTIN, TX (July 2, 2015) – Big Red, Inc. today announced that it will serve as primary sponsor for Josh Wise and the Premium Motorsports team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for four races. The program will kick off Saturday, July 11th at Kentucky Speedway, where the No. 98 Big Red Ford will compete in the running of the Quaker State 400.

“It is exciting to have the Big Red brands back in NASCAR,” said Gary Smith, CEO of Big Red, Inc. “We have a long history in the sport and have always believed in the tremendous marketing power of the NASCAR platform for our brands. We look forward to these four races with Josh and the No. 98 team.”

In addition to showcasing the iconic Big Red soda brand, the sponsorship agreement will also feature the company’s newly-acquired XYIENCE Performance Energy beverage. XYIENCE is a zero-calorie energy beverage featuring a variety of flavors such as Cherry Lime, Frostberry Blast and its most popular flavor, Mango Guava.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series fans can see the No. 98 Big Red Ford on the track next weekend at Kentucky Speedway followed by the Oct. 25th race at Talladega Superspeedway. The second half of the program will feature the No. 98 XYIENCE Ford for the Nov. 8th race at Texas Motor Speedway and the Nov. 15th event at Phoenix International Raceway.

“It is always exciting to have support from companies such as Big Red,” added Wise. “Sponsors are key factors in this sport and to have such an iconic brand as Big Red sponsor you is fantastic. I am also an avid bicycler and marathoner, and the XYIENCE Performance Energy product is a great fit with my lifestyle. ”

The running of the Quaker State 400 will be Saturday July 11th and can be seen live on NBC at 7:30 pm ET. The race can also be heard on Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Channel 90.

About Big Red Inc.: Big Red, Inc. is one of the top 10 beverage companies in North America with a history dating back to 1937. Along with Big Red®, recognized as the number-one selling red soda, Big Red, Inc. also markets beverage brands Big Blue®, Big Peach®, Big Pineapple®, HYDRIVE®, XYIENCE®, All Sport®, Thomas Kemper®, NuGrape®, and Nesbitt’s® products. Distributed widely throughout the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Independent Bottlers and Pepsi Bottling Group, consumers across the country enjoy Big Red, Inc.’s beverages.