Smithfield Foods joins Richard Petty Tribute

Smithfield Foods, the primary sponsor of Richard Petty Motorsports' legendary No. 43 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has joined industry stalwarts honoring Richard Petty next month in Watkins Glen.

Petty, the winningest driver in NASCAR, is being honored on Aug. 6 with the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports at the International Motor Racing Research Center Award Dinner, presented by NASCAR, International Speedway Corp. and Watkins Glen International.

Smithfield Foods has signed on as the sponsor of the cocktail reception of the event, which will be at the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass in nearby Corning, N.Y.

"Smithfield Foods and Richard Petty corporately found each other in 2011, but our relationship goes back much further than that as fans of The King and his untouchable records set over a career that continues to this day," said Bob Weber, Smithfield Foods vice president of corporate marketing."We are thrilled to join race fans throughout the country in honoring Richard on this special evening," Weber said.Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. The company has partnered with Richard Petty Motorsports on numerous occasions to support food pantries in local communities of the NASCAR race circuit.Aric Almirola, the driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford, joined Richard Petty Motorsports in 2012, is the 2014 Coke Zero 400 champion, and currently occupies the final slot in the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup.Almirola and Smithfield Foods' Weber will be among the dinner speakers honoring Petty.The dinner is the Thursday evening prior to the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen International, the famed upstate New York road race course.The award memorializes Cameron R. Argetsinger, founder and organizer of the first races at Watkins Glen. Team owner and former driver Chip Ganassi was the first recipient of the Argetsinger Award in 2014.Petty, who earned a record 200 career races and seven NASCAR Cup championships during his 30-year driving career, competed in eight NASCAR races at Watkins Glen, including July 19, 1964, when both he and his father, the legendary Lee Petty, were on the track. It was Lee Petty's final career race."Smithfield's commitment to ensuring families do not go hungry is well-known," IMRRC President J.C. Argetsinger said. "Their concern for America's communities matches Richard Petty's own philanthropy, and the Racing Research Center is proud to be associated with both."The IMRRC Award Dinner is open to the public, but tickets are limited. The ticket price is $250 per person.Tickets may be purchased online at http://racingarchives.org/special_event.php or by calling the Racing Research Center at (607) 535-9044. Full details about the event can be viewed at www.racingarchives.org.