SMITHFIELD, Va., Nov. 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday, Smithfield celebrated the culmination of two exciting race activations during the 2016 race weekend finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Smithfield brand partnered with The King of racing, Richard Petty, and Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) No. 43 driver Aric Almirola to crown John Briggs from Spanish Fork, Utah the champion of the 2016 season-long Whole Hog Challenge amateur eating competition series. Then, Albertsons/Safeway joined Smithfield for a celebratory key-turning ceremony during which Dan Needham from Ogden, Utah had the winning key to rev up the engine to a replica of The King’s 1967 Plymouth Belvedere. Needham drove home with the car and the bragging rights.
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Whole Hog Challenge Championship Briggs faced off at the Homestead-Miami Speedway against 14 other winners from each of the Smithfield Whole Hog Challenge qualifying events during the 2016 race season. He devoured two pounds of bacon in just three minutes and 20 seconds to clinch the championship title, along with an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2017 season opener in Daytona, a race-worn No. 43 Smithfield fire suit autographed by Petty and Almirola, and a year’s supply of Smithfield bacon. The winner was crowned by the RPM duo, who judged and emceed the finale.
“I did not prepare for this event, so I’m shocked and thrilled to have won the Smithfield Whole Hog Challenge Championship and to be bringing home the crowning title,” said John Briggs, winner of the 2016 Smithfield Whole Hog Challenge Championship. “I’m so grateful to Smithfield for flying me down to Homestead for this incredible experience.”
Winning 43 Key-Turning Ceremony Needham was one of 14 finalists from across the United States who gathered at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with key in hand, to see who could fire up the engine to the 1967 No. 43 replica, the car that Petty drove to more wins than any other car in racing history. During the Winning 43 key-turning ceremony, sponsored by Smithfield and Albertsons/Safeway, Needham turned the key to win the replica of the car that helped Petty win 27 races in a single year.
“It’s still so surreal to me that I’ve won a replica of Richard Petty’s iconic 1967 Belvedere,” said Dan Needham, winner of the Winning 43 sweepstakes. “The Winning 43 sweepstakes was just an unbelievable experience. Receiving the trip to come to Homestead from Smithfield and Albertsons was enough, so I’m amazed that I’ll now be driving home with this incredible prize. In Utah, we can go fairly fast but I might have to push the envelope a little.”
“We’re proud to close out the 2016 racing season by crowning the champion of our second Whole Hog Challenge and celebrating race fans who continue to support the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 team and Smithfield,” said Bob Weber, vice president of sponsorships for Smithfield Foods. “Albertsons/Safeway has been a tremendous partner throughout our Winning 43 sweepstakes, and we’re thrilled to award the winner with this once-in-a-lifetime prize of Richard Petty’s ‘67 Belvedere replica!”
“Aric and I are thrilled to continue supporting Smithfield’s activations both on and off the track,” said Richard Petty, RPM team co-owner. “We’re excited to help crown another winner of the annual Whole Hog Challenge amateur-eating competition, and I’m honored to see a loyal race fan drive away with a replica of my beloved 1967 Belvedere.”
About Smithfield A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield’s products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com , www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand , and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield . Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com .
About Richard Petty Motorsports A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the “Fresh From Florida” campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
About Albertsons Companies Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. Albertsons Companies operate stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Companies is dedicated to helping people across the country live better lives. In 2015 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave more than $270 million in food and financial support to the more than 2,300 communities it serves, improving the lives of millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities, and veterans outreach. Albertsons Companies is committed to making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Media Contacts: Hunter PR for Smithfield Elisabeth Garcia (212) 679-6600 egarcia@hunterpr.com Albertsons Companies Teena Massingill (925) 226-5820 teena.massingill@albertsons.com Richard Petty Motorsports Heather Lumpp (847) 302-5509 hlumpp@rpm43.com
