The terms of the deal were not specified and neither company has responded to NFRN for comment. Sources have said that PepsiCo made an offer that Coca-Cola Company found valuable enough to invest in other sports marketing outlets.
The change comes at a time when Shepherd is running fourth in standings. “Honestly, with the amount of money PepsiCo has given us it was a good idea for a sponsorship change," Shepherd said. "Coke was great for us, but with PepsiCo when can do so much more with the team and our results." Crew chief Morgan Valter is indifferent to the new look. "I don't pay attention to how the car looks unless it makes a difference to our performance," Valter said. "I don't own the team, I don't make those calls, but if it keeps our team going in an upward trend, then good for us." Shepherd is looking to build off his two strong top-tens to start the season. "This won't really add pressure to us, just more confidence," Shepherd said.
When the checkers flew at Pikes Peak International Raceway, it was Australian Stuart Gratton who got to do burnouts in his #29 Pirtek Ford. In a team of three rookies, Gratton was the first to earn a victory for RPG-7 Motorsports.
"What a weekend for us," Gratton said. "Car just got better and better as the weekend progressed. Even though we did get lucky with the caution coming out, we were in the top 10 all race and we got the win!" RPG-7 was hot in the Rocky Mountains as Gratton's teammate TheOtherJR finished in third place. Also making a top five run was Jett Kraus in second, Brad Stover in fourth, and Reece Butcher in fifth. The complexion of the race changed when Gardner Racing teammates Jonny Gardner and Zachary Fitzwater Sr. made hard contact as Fitzwater was merging off of pit road and Gardner merging on, spinning Fitzwater into turn three. Bruno de Barros also made contact with Tyler Markel and spun around, but de Barros managed to finish 10th. "I think, honestly speaking, that I was a bit lucky to get away with the spin and I'm actually happy to finish in the top 10 and I really hope this is the start of something great," de Barros said. The loser of the wreck, though, was pole-sitter David Davidson. Leading the entire race up to the wreck, the timing of the caution put Davidson further back in the field and would end up finishing 13th. "I used to race late models before moving to stock cars, and I won a few races here in late models," Davidson said. "I'm happy with a 13th place finish, but I'd be even happier if I would have won, but congrats to Stuart and his crew for the win." Many drivers went a lap down with this caution, leaving Gratton to navigate plenty of traffic, but most cars made it back up with several cautions coming out in the final 25 laps. Only three drivers ended up finishing off the lead lap with no cars leaving the race. "It's unbelievable how bad our luck has been with pitting and such," said Gerrard Oran, who finished 40th. "We have a top 10 car, and then suddenly a caution comes out and puts us a lap down. Our finish did not represent what our car was like today."
Here's the best times from final practice:
1) Phillip Fry (R) - 25.763 (111 laps) 2) Ryan Maiden (R) - 25.776 (117) 3) Reece Butcher - 25.784 (111) 4) Noah Pontzer (R) - 25.789 (103) 5) Adam Mundinger (R) - 25.794 (112) T6) TheOtherJR (R) - 25.795 (119) T6) Eli Bright (R) - 25.795 (114) 8) Zachary Fitzwater Sr. (R) - 25.797 (112) 9) Gerrard Oran (R) - 25.802 (109) 10) Jake Baskinger (R) - 25.813 (116)
Here are the top 10 times from today's first practice session:
T1) Aidan Shepherd (R) - 25.622 (174 laps) T1) Adam Mundinger (R) - 25.622 (166) 3) Zachary Fitzwater Sr. (R) - 25.627 (171) 4) Jake Baskinger (R) - 25.628 (174) 5) Phillip Fry (R) - 25.642 (169) T6) TheOtherJR (R) - 25.645 (157) T6) Gerrard Oran (R) - 25.645 (174) 8) Ryan Maiden (R) - 25.652 (156) 9) Eli Bright (R) - 25.655 (162) T10) Noah Pontzer (R) - 25.658 (162) T10) Reece Butcher - 25.658 (169) |
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