FirstBank, Colorado’s second largest bank by deposits, announced today it has partnered with the USA Pro Challenge professional cycling race.

The Pro Challenge is one of the largest cycling events in North America with more than a million spectators. This year’s event represents the second year FirstBank has been a major partner.

The week-long race will take place Aug. 18-24 and will travel through many cities in Colorado where FirstBank has branch locations such as Aspen, Boulder, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, Denver and Vail.

In addition, FirstBank is the presenting partner of the “Most Aggressive Rider” classification jersey. This jersey is awarded daily to the rider who best asserts himself in the peloton and tackles the challenges of the race that day.

“We look forward to being one of the main partners for this year’s race and providing these VIP experiences to race-goers,” said John Ikard, the CEO of FirstBank Holding Company. “This race embodies everything Colorado stands for: nature, health, and strength in commitment. It also greatly benefits our economy by drawing in approximately a million visitors and gaining exposure of our beautiful state to more than 175 countries and territories. For many reasons–economic and otherwise—this is a great event to support and we’re proud to do it.” 

Partnering with USA Pro Challenge is part of FirstBank’s commitment to be highly active with local communities where its employees live and work. All officers at FirstBank’s 115 locations sit on boards of nonprofits and causes they’re passionate about. The company also donated more than $5 million to nonprofits in Arizona, California and Colorado last year. 

“The Pro Challenge shines a spotlight on Colorado and we appreciate how the state has welcomed the race with open arms, so whenever possible we try to partner with local companies,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Challenge. “As one of the largest and most recognized companies in Colorado, FirstBank is a great addition to the race and was an invaluable partner last year. We are happy to welcome them back, and this year, through the sweepstakes FirstBank created, fans will have the unique opportunity to get even closer to the race action.”

Lubricant supplier Castrol EDGE has agreed a deal to acquire naming rights for the Gold Coast 600, Queensland’s largest sporting and entertainment event.

V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton welcomed Castrol to the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600.

“Castrol EDGE is a global brand with deep roots in motorsport, business and corporate Australia,” Mr Warburton said.

“We are enormously proud to have Castrol as the major naming rights partner of the Gold Coast 600 following on from the great success of the partnership at the Castrol Townsville 500 – Driven by TAFE Queensland just a few weeks ago.

“Castrol is a global power brand and widely acknowledged as the world’s leading specialist provider of lubricant solutions. Their support over the next three years will drive the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600 to new heights.”

Castrol Australia Marketing Director Diana Hall said the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600 was an iconic event for Castrol to partner with to reap substantial exposure from the broadcast and at-track offerings.

“We’re extremely excited to announce that Castrol will strengthen its partnership with V8 Supercars through a new, multi-year deal which sees Castrol EDGE as the naming rights sponsor to the Gold Coast 600,” said Hall.

“This is an event that is perfectly suited to showcase the strength of Castrol EDGE, our strongest oil ever, because of the extreme and punishing conditions that the Gold Coast circuit brings for both the cars and their drivers.

“Castrol EDGE is all about pushing the boundaries and that is what will happen here on the Gold Coast for the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600.

“We look forward to utilising our support of the Castrol EDGE Gold Coast 600 to entertain on a corporate level and showcase our performance product to millions of motorsport fans through global exposure of this action-packed event.” 

Tweaker Energy Shot has agreed to sponsor NASCAR driver Mike Bliss at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.

Tweaker Energy Shot, along with Circle K, will serve as primary sponsor on the No. 19 TriStar Motorsports Camry.

This Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race will be Bliss’ third start, his second with Tweaker Energy Shot, at the famed 2.5-mile oval speedway.

“I’m looking forward to having Tweaker back on board this weekend,” said Bliss. ” I hope we can earn a great finish and help launch a successful partnership between Tweaker and Circle K.”

This is the second season Tweaker Energy Shot has served as a primary sponsor for Mike Bliss and TriStar Motorsports and its’ first teaming up with Circle K. With more than 3,300 locations Nationwide, Circle K will help kick-start Bliss’ weekend at the Brickyard.

Minor League Baseball has renewed their partnership business solutions company Essensa in a new five-year deal.

This extension will provide MiLB with discounts on a wide variety of products and services used in day-to-day business operations, free ed such as foodservice, office supplies, telecommunications equipment, laundry services and facility management.

Essensa’s affiliation with Premier will offer MiLB further access to an extensive, competitively priced portfolio, unique contract enhancements and rebates, as well as regional contracts to meet specific needs. Essensa will also regularly analyze the organization’s total business spend, track spending patterns, identify savings opportunities and ensure that MiLB and its leagues and clubs that elect to participate are paying consistently lower prices for the same products.

“Essensa has helped MiLB streamline and reduce costs in procuring goods and services since 2010,” said John P. Sganga, President & CEO, Essensa. “As we enter into this extension, we are committed to building on that foundation and looking for new ways to assist MiLB with their supply chain so that they can better serve their fans.”

In the four years since the initial agreement, Essensa has signed 114 MiLB teams, resulting in more than $16 million in purchasing volume through Essensa’s contracted vendors.

“We have a long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship with Essensa and are pleased to grow our partnership with them through this contract extension,” said Pat O’Conner, President & CEO of Minor League Baseball. “Essensa has proven itself to be the solution for top-quality group purchasing and business solutions and through this relationship, Minor League Baseball can continue to operate more competitively in a variety of business areas.”

As part of its agreement with MiLB, Essensa will become a sponsor of the Baseball Winter Meetings, the annual convention attended by both Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball executives held in December.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has announced today that Telstra will be the front of shirt sponsor for the FOXTEL A-League All Stars for their upcoming match against Juventus at ANZ Stadium on Sunday 10 August.

Telstra now joins the other FOXTEL A-League All Stars partners which include FOXTEL, generic Destination NSW and the Seven Network who are the official broadcaster.

“To have a blue-chip partner such as Telstra come on board as the front of shirt sponsor of the FOXTEL A-League All Stars is fantastic for the team and for football, health ” FFA CEO David Gallop said.

“Over the past year we have been working with Telstra in relation to a number of initiatives and their involvement with the FOXTEL A-League All Stars is another way of continuing their relationship with FFA.

“Having worked with Telstra in the past, we are definitely excited about partnering with Telstra for this match and look forward to more opportunities to do so in the future.

“I would also like to thank our official apparel partner, BLK, for their innovation and design of the 2014 FOXTEL A-League All Stars kit which will feature Telstra on the front of shirt,” Gallop said.

Adam Good, Director Telstra Media and Content commented: “At Telstra we are proud to connect Australians to the people and the things they are passionate about – sport, and football in particular, is right up there when it comes to things Aussies are passionate about.

“Telstra has been working with the FFA for the past year, helping to bring football fans closer to the game through our Thanks Loyalty Program – offering customers ticket pre-sales and upgrades. Being involved today continues that relationship.

“Congratulations to the players who have made the FOXTEL A-League All Stars team. We are proud to be part of the game and together with your fans look forward to supporting you as you run on the field,” said Mr Good.

The FOXTEL A-League All Stars will meet Juventus at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on 10 August with the match to be broadcast live and exclusive on the Seven Network nationally.

Tommy Baldwin Racing has announced a partnership with Zing Zang Bloody Mary for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Zing Zang Bloody Mary will sponsor the No. 36 Chevrolet of Reed Sorenson in four high-profile races this season: Indianapolis on July 27, Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 11, Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 19 and Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26.

The No. 36 of Sorenson will sport a bright green and black paint scheme to align with Zing Zang Bloody Mary’s bright, fresh ingredients used in their flavorful mixes. Zing Zang Bloody Mary, their flagship mix, is one of the most popular Bloody Mary Mixes in North America.

“As a family-run business, we are so happy to support Reed Sorenson and be a part of such a fantastic sport and group of people,” Chief Marketing Officer Katherine Roppolo commented.

“Our dad and founder, who passed away two years ago, was a huge racing enthusiast,” Roppolo continued. “He and our mother used to watch the races and would say, ‘Wouldn’t it be awesome if one day we had a Zing Zang car?!’ When we finally partnered with Tommy Baldwin and NASCAR, our mother actually cried realizing their dream had come true. We know our dad would have been so thrilled and only wish he were here to join in our excitement! We love our fans and know how much they love NASCAR and Zing Zang. We hope to spread the word about our famous Bloody Mary Mix to a new arena of fans during the 2014 NASCAR racing season.”

Team owner Tommy Baldwin also commented, “I am happy that we were able to create this partnership with Zing Zang. I believe that it will be good for TBR, as well as the sport, and Zing Zang. We are going to give it our all this weekend at Indy, and hopefully create a partnership that will be around for a while in NASCAR.”

JR Motorsports has announced today that Jimmy John’s, cure the gourmet sandwich shop with more than 1, price buy 900 locations across the United States, physician will be the primary sponsor on Kevin Harvick’s No. 5 Chevrolet in the Sept. 13 Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Started by Jimmy John Liautaud, Jimmy John’s sandwich shops are found in more than 1,900 locations in 43 states across the United States. It specializes in fast delivery as well as using the freshest ingredients in the industry.

Featured on Harvick’s No. 5 Jimmy John’s paint scheme at Chicagoland Speedway will be the Folds of Honor Foundation logo as part of Jimmy John’s commitment to supporting our nation’s heroes. Through scholarships and other assistance, the foundation’s mission is to give back to families of soldiers killed or disabled in service to our country.

“I’m privileged to have Kevin drive the Jimmy John’s Folds of Honor car for us in the Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300 in Chicago,” Liautaud said. “More important is the partnering and support of Major Dan Rooney and his Folds of Honor Foundation. What an honor to help educate returning troops, what a privilege, what a country!”

The Harvick-Jimmy John’s relationship started in 2009 when the sandwich chain began sponsoring race teams at Kevin Harvick Inc. In 2014, the partnership evolved into a 12-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series partnership with Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing team. Harvick drove Jimmy John’s to victory lane in the Sprint Cup event at Phoenix International Raceway earlier this year.

“This is really exciting to be a part of another Jimmy John’s initiative and represent them on the track,” Harvick said. “We have a great relationship with everyone at Jimmy John’s and I couldn’t be more proud that they’ve partnered with the Folds of Honor to support such a great cause.”

This season, Harvick has earned Nationwide Series victories at Richmond International Raceway (April 25) and Kentucky Speedway (June 27) in addition to seven top-five finishes in only eight starts. The No. 5 team also visited victory lane with Kasey Kahne behind the wheel at Daytona International Speedway (July 4).

The Australian Paralympic Committee has extended its partnership with compressiona apparel maker 2XU through to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

As with the 2012 and 2014 Australian Paralympic Teams, 2XU’s world-leading technical, casual and compression apparel will be utilised by the APC until the end of 2016.

APC Chief Executive Jason Hellwig said: “This is a wonderful demonstration of 2XU’s belief in the values of the APC and our Teams, and the ongoing growth of the Paralympic movement in Australia.”

“Since our partnership began in early 2011, 2XU has become an integral part of the Australian Paralympic family and we are delighted that our partnership continues to flourish.”

In addition to supporting the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team in Rio, 2XU will provide sportswear for the Paralympic programs managed by the APC including wheelchair rugby, boccia, goalball and winter sport.

“With Rio 2016 set to lift Paralympic sport to unprecedented heights, the APC has challenged itself to go above and beyond what has been achieved previously,” Hellwig said.

“It is a challenge we have also issued our partners, and we are not only excited that 2XU has passionately accepted, but we are confident the challenge will be met.”

2XU’s Co-Founder and Director of Sales and Marketing Aidan Clarke, said 2XU was proud to grow its relationship with the APC’s inspiring Paralympic athletes and team. 

“2XU strives for excellence at every step; from our research and development to product engineering, right through to supporting best in class athletes and institutes,” said Clarke.

“We were honoured to see our apparel on the dais in London, and look forward to supporting APC athletes with the finest performance and recovery garments required to achieve equal success in Rio.”

The APC is aiming to prepare and send more than 170 Australian Paralympic athletes from 15 sports to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.