Over the last 14 years, the Zippo name has become more and more imprinted on the motor sports world, with Zippo Manufacturing Co. now boasting two major sponsorships.

The third annual edition of the NASCAR Busch Series Zippo 200 gets underway Aug. 11 at the famed 2.45-mile track of Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

“It really is becoming a big weekend,” said Peggy Errera, who coordinates Watkins Glen events for Zippo. “It’s grown noticeably in the last two years.”

“In past years, there was Busch racing at (Watkins Glen), but they never had the Busch Cars and the Cup race in the same weekend,” Errera said. “At the end of 2004, NASCAR approached us about sponsoring a race for the Busch Cup.”

There are several perks that go along with sponsoring a race for one of the rising popular sports in America.

“We have an opportunity to interact a bit with the race teams. It’s a corporate opportunity for some of our good customers,” Errera said.

“We’re allowed to go into victory lane with our guests and have a photo opportunity with the (winning) race team.”

The sponsorship provides some nice benefits for the race teams, too. All of the 2006 winning team members got a victory-lane-edition Zippo lighter, according to Errera. Plans are in place to create another special lighter for the 2007 edition of the contest.

“They all lighted the lighters (after winning in 2006); we got a lot of press for that,” Errera said.

However, Zippo’s racing roots date back further than just 2005. In 1993, Zippo Manufacturing Co. joined with Watkins Glen International as title sponsor of the inaugural Zippo U.S. Vintage Grand Prix. This year’s festivities will run from Sept. 7 to 9.

“It’s mostly a hospitality event where we bring customers and give them the experience of Watkins Glen,” Errera said.

“It’s a much more laid back event than the actual NASCAR event.”

The Zippo USVGP started as a small event, Errera explained, but eventually became the highest-attended vintage grand prix in the United States, a record it has broken each of the last five years.

“Friday, they do a car show. Some of these cars are from World War I right on to Grand Am cars that have raced all around the world,” she said.

The actual race is a re-enactment of the old-time course that runs through the original streets of the village.

“I’ve ridden on the course and driven the course,” Errera said. “To think that they used to race that (course) is amazing; it’s so many hairpin turns and steep hills.”

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