Sunoco Fueled for 15: Celebrating 15 Years of Fueling Victories

Sunoco has been the exclusive fuel provider for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for 15 years. That’s more than 15.5 million miles of racing and more than 1,300 victories, and we’re celebrating some of the most iconic moments in a series of videos.

The Sunoco fuel used by the NASCAR national series has changed twice since it became the official fuel of NASCAR in 2004, improving performance and environmental quality along the way. In 2004, NASCAR competition was fueled by Sunoco Supreme. From 2007-2010, NASCAR ran on Sunoco 260 GTX. Since 2011, Sunoco Green E15 has been on board for every green flag — and appropriately, it’s green in color. Sunoco Green E15 is 98 octane, unleaded fuel and contains 15 volume percent ethanol plus more oxygen than most fuels, as it’s built for racing.

For 15 years, Sunoco has been fueling the most memorable victories and greatest moments in NASCAR. Learn more about the highlights in this video series: Sunoco Fueled for 15: Celebrating 15 years of Fueling Victories.

• Dale Earnhardt Junior wins the 2004 Daytona 500: Sunoco has been fueling racing engines for more than 50 years, but their partnership with NASCAR started with a bang as Junior sealed his first Daytona 500 victory in their first Cup Series race as the Official Fuel. Earnhardt started on the pole and staged a fierce battle with Tony Stewart. Junior held on, taking the Sunoco checkered flag just .273 seconds ahead of Stewart and continuing the Earnhardt family’s superspeedway dominance. MORE: Watch the video 
• Kurt Busch’s 2004 championship: Kurt Busch’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career began with Roush Fenway Racing, with seven races in 2000 and a full-time ride in 2001. Busch brought Roush Fenway a premier series title three years later, in 2004 – a first for both Busch and Sunoco, as it was the first championship fueled by Sunoco. It was the second consecutive championship for Roush, with Matt Kenseth taking the crown in 2003. MORE: Watch the video
• Carl Edwards’ 2005 victory at Atlanta: At 25 years old and in his first season driving for Jack Roush in the No. 99 Ford, Carl Edwards put on a show for fans at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Edwards clinched his first premier series victory by passing Jimmie Johnson on the final lap and streaking across the start-finish line just .028 seconds ahead of the No. 48 car. It was the first of 28 career Sunoco Checkered Flags for Edwards. MORE: Watch the video
• Ryan Newman wins the 2008 Daytona 500: Ryan Newman brought iconic team owner Roger Penske his first Daytona 500 victory in 2008, the 50th running of the “Great American Race.” Kurt Busch, driving the No. 2 Penske Dodge, pushed his teammate’s No. 12 car across the start-finish line for the Sunoco Checkered Flag and a Team Penske 1-2- finish. MORE: Watch the video
• Trevor Bayne wins the 2011 Daytona 500: In only his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start, Trevor Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500 – the first win in 10 years for the Wood Brothers and the iconic No. 21 Ford. Bayne also was the youngest driver ever to win the race at 20 years and 1 day old. MORE: Watch the video
• Jimmie Johnson’s 2011 win at Talladega: The 2011 Aaron’s 499 was one for the record books. Coming through the final corners, four pairs of cars pushed, drafted and timed slingshot moves against each other creating a four-wide finish at the line. When the Sunoco Checkered Flag flew, it was Johnson nosing out Clint Bowyer by just .002 seconds for the victory. It stands as the closest finish at Talladega Superspeedway. MORE: Watch the video
  
• Tony Stewart’s 2011 championship: Tony Stewart earned his reputation as a closer in 2011 when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title race came down to the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stewart had a slow start to 2011, but four wins in the first nine Playoff races put him second in the standings behind Carl Edwards going into the season finale. At Homestead, Stewart took the Sunoco Checkered Flag again with Edwards coming in as the race’s runner-up, putting the two in a dead heat on points. Stewart’s five victories on the season won him the championship on a tiebreaker. MORE: Watch the video 
• Danica Patrick wins the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500: As a Sunoco Rookie in 2013, driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Danica Patrick won the pole for her first start in the Daytona 500. She went on to become the first woman to lead laps in “The Great American Race” with a total of 5 laps led. Patrick also notched a top-10 finish. MORE: Watch the video
  
• Jeff Gordon’s 2015 Martinsville victory: Jeff Gordon’s final full season included a thrilling trip to Victory Lane at Martinsville where he memorably shouted, “We’re going to Homestead!” It would be the last time Gordon drove the legendary No. 24 Chevrolet to victory and his ninth and final Sunoco Checkered Flag at Martinsville Speedway. MORE: Watch the video
• Kyle Busch wins 2015 Championship: In arguably the best comeback story in NASCAR history, Kyle Busch rebounded from a hard crash, a broken leg and ankle suffered in the season-opening Xfinity race at Daytona. He missed the first 11 races of the season but took home an impressive five Sunoco Checkered Flags and the 2015 Championship. It was also Toyota’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title since joining the premier series in 2007. MORE: Watch the video
  
• Daniel Suarez wins 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship: In just his second season as a full-time NASCAR driver in any national series, Daniel Suarez took the 2016 Xfinity Series championship. Hailing from Monterrey, Mexico, Suarez became the first driver born outside the United States to win a national series championship. The title came after an exceptional 2015 season in which Suarez was the Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year. MORE: Watch the video
• Jimmie Johnson wins all 7 Championships on Sunoco Fuel: Jimmie Johnson earned all seven of his record-tying championships running on Sunoco Fuel. Sharing the record with legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty puts him in pretty impressive company. Johnson also earned 77 of his 83 race wins on Sunoco fuel. Though parting ways with long-time crew chief Chad Knaus for 2019, Johnson will chase more SunocoCheckered Flags in the No. 48 Chevrolet next season. MORE: Watch the video 

Sunoco keeps fueling victories through the 2018 NASCAR Playoffs in all three series. We will highlight some of the best NASCAR triumphs fueled by Sunoco in videos. Watch here for more thrilling moments, from jaw-dropping Sunoco Rookie of the Year performances to record-setting and barrier-shattering moments in the sport.

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