Richard Childress Racing will return the No. 3 Chevrolet to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2014 with Austin Dillon driving, the team announced at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday along with two new sponsors.

The No. 3 has not been used in the Sprint Cup Series since Dale Earnhardt drove it in 2001.

Earnhardt died from injuries sustained in the 2001 Daytona 500 and the number was set aside.

Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress, is preparing to return it in his rookie season. He won the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series titles in the No. 3 as well.

Dow Chemical and General Mills will be the primary sponsors for the car.

Dillon joins Paul Menard (No. 27) and Ryan Newman (No. 31) as Sprint Cup drivers for RCR in 2014.

“My grandfather and everyone at RCR have done a great job of not pushing me too quickly into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,” Dillon said. “I feel like I’ve been able to spend adequate time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series preparing for this next step in my career.

“I am thrilled to be making this move with partners like Dow and Cheerios, along with some long-time partners who have supported me and RCR throughout my career. I am truly grateful and looking forward to this opportunity.”

“We are proud to support a proven champion in Austin Dillon, a driver who shares many of the same values as Cheerios,” said Gregg Dorazio, manager of Shopper Marketing and Motorsports at General Mills. “We have been an active sponsor in NASCAR for many years now and this is an exciting opportunity to be part of a historical moment in the sport.”

Irish sports broadcaster Setanta Sports has extended its title sponsorship of the Setanta Sports Cup, medicine a domestic Irish club soccer competition, through to 2016.

The competition pits four sides from Northern Ireland’s Danske Bank League against four of their counterparts from Ireland’s Airtricity League. Setanta has sponsored the cup ever since its 2005 inception. The new agreement will also see them continue as its broadcast partner.

Milo Corcoran, the chairman of the Setanta Sports Cup Tournament Committee, commented: “The competition has grown in stature since it began in 2005 and clubs north and south are looking forward to the ninth version starting in February.”

Setanta Sports’ marketing operations director Brian Quinn added: “In summer we announced a deal to bring the BT Sport and ESPN channels into our Setanta Sports pack in the south and this has given us a platform to be able to return as the sponsor and broadcaster and to continue to invest in Irish football.”

The Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games have announced today that Cisco have been brought on board as an official supporter.

Cisco technology products and services will support the foundation of the network for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The network will be developed in partnership with several other IOC and Rio 2016 partners.

As part of the agreement, cough Cisco will provide networking infrastructure for the event, generic including all wired and wireless LAN, IP routers, as well as the hardware necessary for network security, data center networking, and network management systems. Cisco will also provide the data center enterprise servers, including Cisco Unified Computing System Blade and Rack servers. 

Cisco will support Rio 2016 and other Technology partners throughout the networking and enterprise servers project lifecycle, from planning and design to implementation and operations, leveraging its world-class services experience in supporting mission-critical networks and data centers. 

As an official supporter of the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games, Cisco will provide network equipment and servers to serve the unique needs of the Olympic Games and spectators, leveraging Cisco Connected Sports Network Equipment, Cisco Connected Stadium and Cisco Connected Stadium High Density Wi-Fi, and industry expertise focused on transforming fan experiences.

Zealous Swimwear have announced that 3x Olympian & 4x Olympic Gold Medallist, Libby Trickett will be joining the brand as a ambassador.

The Australian will take on the role of Zealous Swimwear’s Healthy Lifestyle Advocate, helping inspire you to stay fit, healthy and happy with her very own blog, launching in January 2014.

When asked about joining the Zealous Swimwear team, Libby commented:

“I am so excited to become a Zealous ambassador. To be part of such a passionate, enthusiastic and fun company such as Zealous, was an opportunity I couldn’t resist!!”

Hyundai have revealed Shell as the major sponsor of its World Rally Championship and revealed its 2014 livery ahead of its first event – the Monte Carlo Rally – in January. The official name of the team is the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team.

Hyundai is returning to the WRC for the first time since 2003, with a brand new operation built from the ground up under the guidance of engineer Michel Nandan. The team will run the i20 hatch, which is both a similar size to the VW Polo that Sebastien Ogier won this year’s title, and also allows the necessary wheel travel for the demands the 13-rally championship.

“Our aims for 2014 are realistic,” says Nandan.

‘We want to finish each rally with both cars and build up a database of information and experience so we can develop ourselves into prospective rally winners in the future. If all goes well, we hope to be competing for occasional podiums as the year progresses.”

Shell’s partnership stems from a long tradition in WRC. Shell used to be on the Group B Peugeot 205s, and the Ford Escorts of Bjorn Waldegarde, Ari Vatanen and Roger Clark. 

The Hyundai Shell World Rally Team’s first rally will be round one of the 2014 WRC, which will be held on January 14-19, 2014.

Kent County Cricket Club have announced a new sponsorship deal with marketing communications company, Zest.

Zest will work closely with Kent Cricket’s strategic and tactical marketing campaigns over the coming three seasons.

The three year contract provides for the development of a range of customer engagement, and follows Kent Cricket’s recent Business of Cricket Award for Best Improvement in Customer Engagement. Collateral creation and outreach activities, including print and digital are also included in the contract, with the goal to extend the county side’s attraction to Kent residents and visiting spectators.

“Zest is very pleased to have a first-class cricket club as a client. We are a Kent based agency with an international outlook, much like the cricket team, and our ambition for Kent Cricket is to build the brand awareness and help generate gate receipts,” stated Terry Hewett, Zest Managing Director.

Kent Cricket CEO, Jamie Clifford added: “It is important for us to work with a Kent marketing agency. Zest demonstrated a level of strategic understanding that we require, while their creative output is very impressive.  Zest has the right mix of business and consumer experience that gives us the confidence that their team understand our needs, while offering a knowledgeable, broader view of marketing to our audiences.”

CEVA Logistics, a global supply chain management company, has announced it has been named the official logistics provider and sponsor for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (USBSF).

In addition to being an official sponsor, CEVA is also the official logistics provider for the USBSF, responsible for transporting nineteen two-man and four-man bobsleds to all World Cup event locations in North America, as well as coordinating transport and storage internationally. On completion of the World Cup events, CEVA will arrange for transfer of the sleds to Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, as Team USA looks to defend its gold medal.

“Sports competition from the World Cup to the Olympics are unifying events, bringing together the world to promote peace, friendship and fair play,” said CEVA’s Chief Commercial Officer Inna Kuznetsova. “That’s why we are excited to support the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Team. Sports competition today requires complex equipment that needs sophisticated care, transport and delivery. This partnership allows us to bring together our passion for sports and our passion for logistics, so we can leverage our operations excellence to help the USBSF deliver their sleds where they need them and when they need them.”

“We are quite pleased to add CEVA as a worldwide partner,” said Darrin Steele, USBSF CEO. “The global reach of CEVA was a key reason for their selection. We require a true international partner as the team competes on a global basis, so when my General Manager Lenny Kasten introduced me to them, I was thrilled. CEVA provides both the scale and knowledge to ensure transport, delivery and safe storage for all our bobsleds.”

CEVA’s sponsorship includes a dedicated sled wrapped in the company’s burgundy and black logo, which will be seen throughout the entire 2013-2014 World Cup season, which includes races in Calgary, Canada; Park City, Utah; Lake Placid, N.Y.; Winterberg, Germany; St. Moritz, Switzerland; Igls, Austria; and Koenigssee, Germany.

In addition to the dedicated bobsled, CEVA’s logo will receive placement on all national team sleds and uniforms, as well as being recognized as an “Official Sponsor” on the USBSF’s official website and in all team press releases and newsletters.

Moran & Bewley’s Hotel Group has been named the ‘Official Hotel Partner’ for Paralympics Ireland.

The partnership sees Moran & Bewley’s Hotel Group renewing its support for Paralympics Ireland through the extensive provision of accommodation, vcialis 40mg meeting and event facilities. The group first announced their original involvement in 2011 and was a proud partner of the 2012 Irish Paralympic Team which delivered an impressive haul of 16 medals in London.

Moran & Bewley’s played a key role in the preparations of Irish Paralympic athletes in the lead up to the Games and also hosted a number of showpiece events. With Irish Paralympic athletes now aiming for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, ed viagra this support will again prove vital.

Commenting on the renewal of the partnership, Adrian Sherry, Group Marketing Manager for Moran & Bewleys Hotels, said: “We were thrilled to be involved with the incredible Irish Paralympic success at London 2012 and are delighted to help Paralympics Ireland prepare for the challenge of Rio 2016. The performances of Irish Paralympic athletes like Orla Barry are hugely inspiring and we will be supporting them every step of the way.” 

Patrick Haslett, Commercial Director for Paralympics Ireland commented: “We were very grateful for the invaluable support of Moran & Bewleys Hotels and their staff in the lead up to London 2012. As Irish Paralympic athletes target the podium at Rio 2016, we look forward to another exciting partnership.”