Scott Wimmer Will Drive No.4 In Sharpie 500

Morgan-McClure Motorsports, one of NASCAR’s most decorated teams, and Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR), a leading U.S. coal producer, will join forces with driver Scott Wimmer for this year’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The one-race sponsorship announcement marks the beginning of a new chapter for both Abingdon, Va.-based organizations. Attempting to qualify the No. 4 entry for the Aug. 22 night race at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” signals a possible rebirth for MMM, which has been on an approximate two-year hiatus from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Meanwhile, it caps off a monumental week for Alpha, one in which the company completed a merger with Foundation Coal Holdings to become the nation’s third-largest coal producer.

MMM, founded in 1983, is a three-time winner of the season-opening Daytona 500 and boasts a successful history that includes 14 wins, 63 top-fives, 146 top-10s and 13 poles.

“Our team, much like Alpha’s owners, was born in coal country; and the first few years we were funded by dealerships that make their income by serving coal miners,” says Tim Morgan, MMM’s co-owner and president. “We couldn’t be prouder to represent a progressive company like Alpha – a recognized leader in producing coal to meet the nation’s energy needs, with an outstanding reputation for being good stewards of the environment while taking care of their customers and employees.”

With the Foundation Coal merger, Alpha now operates more than 60 coal mines and 14 preparation plants, maintains one of the most expansive geographic footprints in the industry, and controls reserves of more than 2.3 billion tons of coal.

“This sponsorship presents the ideal opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to our 3,200 employees, and it serves as a big ‘welcome’ to the 3,000 Foundation employees that are now part of the Alpha family,” says Michael Quillen, Alpha’s executive chairman of the board. “We feel that this is a great way to honor our employees for what they do for us and furnishing the energy that powers our country. Everyone at Alpha, not just in Southwest Virginia, but also our employees in Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Wyoming will enjoy seeing the Alpha-sponsored Morgan-McClure entry on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway.”

Wimmer, who has experience in all of NASCAR’s top three divisions – the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series – has collected 30 top-fives, 73 top-10s and one pole in his career. The 33-year-old Wausau, Wisc., native is currently 16th in the Nationwide Series point standings.

“Morgan-McClure Motorsports has an experienced driver behind the wheel in Scott Wimmer, and we are optimistic that the car can qualify for the Sharpie 500,” Quillen adds. “It’s very similar to our early beginnings – to go against the odds and see what we can do with good people. We wish MMM the best, and we know there will be several thousand fans pulling for the Alpha No. 4 car.”