The storied success of the motorsports industry is rooted in long-standing partnerships between world-renowned brands, but few match the success of the 46-year alliance between the Richard Petty family of brands and Safety-Kleen®. What began as a parts washing service by an up-and-coming environmental service company for a successful driver has transformed into a multi-faceted, world-class relationship built on quality, service and integrity.
A great deal has changed since the early 1970s when Safety-Kleen first serviced a parts washer at Petty Enterprises in Randleman, N.C. During that time, “The King” Richard Petty amassed a record setting 200 wins before retiring in 1992. The Petty legacy was then passed to his son Kyle Petty, who raced in nearly 900 NASCAR-sanctioned events, and now his grandson, Thad Moffitt, who has taken the Petty mantle.
Safety-Kleen, in that same time, has become North America’s leading parts washer service provider and the largest recycler of used oil in the world. Safety-Kleen is also a founder of NASCAR Green, an industry-wide effort to minimize NASCAR’s environmental impact while bringing value and inspiration to the motorsports industry, its partners, employees and fans.
Safety-Kleen continues to support the growing needs of Petty’s various businesses by picking-up paint waste, collecting and re-refining used motor oil, and offering the latest in parts washers and paint gun cleaner. Most recently, Safety-Kleen’s full line of high-performance lubricants, Performance Plus®, were introduced.
“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than Safety-Kleen, both on and off the track,” Richard Petty said. “I’m still a competitor at heart, so I strive to be the best and only work with the best. We’ve got a partner in Safety-Kleen that does the same. Their focus on service excellence and high-quality products has helped us achieve incredible success over more than four decades.”
Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer of Richard Petty Motorsports, relies on Safety-Kleen to keep the Petty team safe and compliant.
“In motorsports, reliability and peace-of-mind are paramount, but it’s much more than that,” Moffitt said. “They’re constantly looking ahead to the future and bringing us the latest products that best serve our business. They supply state-of-the-art parts washer technologies to help reduce our impact on the environment. We’re now using Performance Plus Motor Oil for the Richard Petty Motorsports team and it’s the official oil at Petty’s Garage. Much like their other products and overall service, it performs better than anything we’ve ever used.”
On the track, Performance Plus oil runs in Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr.’s No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS). And Thad Moffitt runs Performance Plus under the hood in his No. 46 Chevrolet SS for Empire Racing in the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series.
For Safety-Kleen, it’s all about helping their customer shine.
“It really starts with Clean Harbors, our parent organization,” David Vergo, president of Safety-Kleen, said. “Customer service is a core value. That means we’re always looking to exceed customer expectations. We’ve consistently delivered on that promise and it’s paid off through our partnership with the Petty family. The family is an industry icon and they continue to open doors for us. In return, we’re helping them – in our own small way – win races and build better cars.
” 2019 will see Safety-Kleen and Petty continue to build on its remarkable foundation. Safety-Kleen and its parent company, Clean Harbors, will introduce new ways to support the various Petty businesses with a broad suite of environmental services and Performance Plus oil products. The Petty team will create unique opportunities to promote Clean Harbors’ brands and will open doors for new business across a wide array of sectors.
“The personal camaraderie and dedication of our team members is what makes this partnership thrive,” Vergo said. “We’re honored to help carry on the heritage of the Petty name by offering the expertise that has made Safety-Kleen the recognized industry leader that it is today.”
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