Castrol Signs Title Agreement with Edmonton Track

In what may be surprising to many considering Castrol’s long-standing motorsport heritage, the oil brand has signed its first ever title sponsorship agreemement in the world, casting its name on an Edmonton racetrack, and securing a significant car dealer supply contract in a related deal, too.
Castrol Raceway is the new name for the facility formerly known as Budweiser Motorsport Park. The five-year deal was struck between the track and Wakefield Canada, the Canadian distributor and marketer of Castrol products.
Castrol Raceway director of sales and marketing, Art Eden, sees this new relationship as a unique opportunity. “As the only Castrol-named racing facility in the world, we will set the precedent by which all others that follow will be modeled.”
The facility houses a quarter-mile IHRA sanctioned drag strip, a three-eighths mile clay oval track, a ten-acre motocross facility, and a 2.7 km road course currently under construction.
In a related arrangement, Wakefield has secured supply with several area car dealers associated with Ron Hodgson, co-owner of the track facility and Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee, including Southgate Pontiac, Ron Hodgson Chevrolet, and Southside Mitsubishi. Hodgson was excited about the agreement with Castrol. “Castrol is synonymous with racing and is a natural fit at the track. The deal also allows us to leverage the strength of Castrol’s brand at our dealerships, and we’re excited about the opportunity to promote our service business, attract new customers and exploit this sponsorship. It truly is a win-win-win arrangement”.
Kent Rennie, vice-president of Wakefield Canada, sees a huge opportunity for growth of Castrol in Alberta, thanks to its booming economy. “This deal provides us with significant brand presence, but also substantial volume, providing a great base for future growth. The staff at the track, and everyone associated with Ron Hodgson’s dealership group have been fantastic to work with. We have no doubt we’ve aligned ourselves with the right group of people, and now its up to us to deliver the full potential of this partnership.”