Peyton Sellers is not exactly a household name in NASCAR…yet. But anyone inside the sport will tell you that they have been watching this young man for years, building experience as a driver and respect as a person. On Saturday, April 4, the 25 year old will step into his #77 SFP Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway in one of NASCAR’s top series for the first of ten races this year.
For many, he’s proof that you can still make it in this grassroots American sport without a wealthy family or an inside relationship with a Fortune 500 CEO. Natural talent combined with the American virtues of good old fashioned hard work and perseverance are still rewarded.
Sellers has patiently worked his way through the ranks of the racing world, becoming NASCAR’s youngest ever Whelen All American National Champion in 2005 with ten poles and fifteen wins that year. The next step took him to NASCAR’s top developmental series, the Camping World Series West and East where he garnered Rookie of the Year honors and three subsequent top ten season performances.
But it’s more than just the interest in a new face on one of NASCAR’s major circuits that has folks pulling for Peyton Sellers; it’s how he’s gotten there: with heart, with his own skin in the game, and with his family at his side.
Ask anyone who watched the Toyota All-Star Showdown the past two years and witnessed Sellers’ last lap battles for the win in his own equipment against the likes of JGR’s Joey Logano. Not only can the young man drive, but his experiences have led to a level of maturity rare for his age.
Sponsor SFP of Leawood, Kansas recognized Sellers’ potential as a driver as well as his strong personal values during its sponsorship with the team in three NASCAR Camping World Series East races in 2008. The innovative agricultural products company returns as the primary sponsor of the team for all ten Nationwide races this year.
“We are very excited to sponsor a driver like Peyton, who shares the same values as SFP. We are impressed by his professionalism, good nature and smart thinking on and off the track. We’re looking forward to a successful 10 races this year,” commented Jake Sanders, Vice President of Market Development for SFP.
Over the years, Sellers has developed a “do it myself” mentality out of necessity. This, combined with his business background and support from some key NASCAR notables, has opened up an opportunity for a new kind of team.
“I believe we have to find a way to provide sponsors with more value in this sport,” says Sellers. “Yes, we have to be competitive – I want to win as much as the next guy. But we have to recognize that it’s not just about us. We’ve been hired to do a job for our partners. And it goes well beyond what happens on the track.”
Cardinal Motorsports, based in Welcome, NC, was built with both performance and added sponsor value in mind. Will Spencer, President of JKS Motorsports, is part owner of the team. The well-known company provides high quality executional services and products for marketing companies, teams, sponsors and manufacturers. The alliance brings Cardinal Motorsports in-house resources that other teams do not have.
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