WEBSTER COUNTY, KY (9/5/12) - Recently the coal mining industry has been receiving positive attention because of a very unlikely spokesman. NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., son of 7-time NASCAR Champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.

That is because the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is now a sponsor in the Nationwide series, which is NASCAR’s version of the minor leagues.

The sponsorship is part of a national advertising campaign between the ACCCE and JR Motorsports, the management company and racing operation owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“In my company, the cars run on gas, but the business runs on electricity,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. says in the ad. “That’s why I have been learning about how coal keeps electricity prices down, and that keeps the lights on and people working, which keeps companies like mine out in front.”

Under the sponsorship, JR Motorsports cars feature ACCCE logos, and members of the race team, including Dale Earnhardt, Jr., are working with ACCCE to drive awareness of the importance of coal and clean coal technology to American homes.

“We are extremely pleased to announce this new partnership, which includes both elements of our primary assets – Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. “Teaming up with the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity is somewhat new territory for us, one that we hope will take the Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports brands to new homes and markets. The ACCCE’s initiative to inform and educate about opportunities of powering with clean coal is something we can truly support with coal being such an abundant and affordable natural resource.”

The ACCCE is a non-profit, non-partisan partnership of companies that supports energy policies that try to balance coal’s vital role in meeting the growing need for affordable and reliable electricity with the need to protect the environment.

“America’s families and business rely on affordable and reliable coal,” said Evan Tracey, senior vice president of communications for the ACCCE. “These new ads will draw America’s attention to coal’s importance as a domestic energy source to power our economy – from manufacturing to motorsports and everything in between.

“Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team are one of the elite groups in racing and we’re proud to be partnering with them,” said Evan Tracey, senior vice president for communications of ACCCE. “NASCAR is a great way for ACCCE to reach out to American families about the important role that coal plays in delivering affordable power for the American economy. We’re excited to talk to JR Motorsports fans about how coal keeps electricity affordable, reliable and increasingly clean.”

The ad campaign has already started to air TV and radio ads nationally.

The No. 88 Chevrolet driven by Cole Whitt’s in the Nationwide Series will have ACCCE colors at Kentucky Speedway (Sept. 22).

Matt Hughes
J-E News Editor

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