Cup Series race winner John Andretti lಞooks set to return to the top flight of NASCAR competition after Busch Series team ppc Racing secured sponsorship to complete the final few races of the 2004 season, and a full-time assault on the series next year.

Andretti, a two-tim﷽e winner in the former♏ Winston Cup, will drive the VB/APlus at Sunoco Ford for ppc in next weekend's UAW/GM 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and will contest all remaining 2004 events bar Martinsville.

"A lot of people have been working hard to put this programme together," Andretti said, "It's pretty exciting to have everything set and ready to go, and to know we are going to be a very competitive🎃 race team."

ppc Racing has been one of the more successful Busch Series teams in recent seasons, t𒈔aking the 2000 champions𓃲hip and finishing second four times.

"This is the next step for ppc Racing - it's a big step but one we are prepared, and excited, to take," team owner Greg Pollex commented, "The backing of VB, Sunoco, APlus and Ford Motor Company allows us th♏e support level we need to be competitive. We've brought in some very talented people to partner one of the most experienced drivers in the sport."

The arriv༺al of ppc and sponsor VB will add a rare tobacco brand to the Nextel Cup field.

"For years, stock car racing was pretty well closed to cigarette manufacturers, but we jumped when we saw this opportunity," Victory Brand CEO Steve Swick admitted,
"The sport fits our demographic, with the huge numbers of adults who follow it, and with the large numbers of highly brand loyal smokers who are ꦕfans. We believe they will see our support for NASCAR racing and will try the VB brand.

"Frankly, we are race fans. We love racing, we love NASCAR racing and the excitement it brings. We joined the sport, not only because there 𝔍was an opening, but because there was an opportunity to be part of an exciting new race team."

Ford, too, was happy 🍃to add another operation to its cup roster, particularly as it reunites the Blue Oval with the Andrett✨i name.

"We're very happy to have John Andretti and ppc Racing joining our effort," said performance operations manager Greg Specht, "Obviously, we've enjoyed our long-term and successful relationship with ppc in both the Busch Series and C♓raftsman Truck, so we know the capabilities are there to put together a winning programme, but we're very pleased t🌳o be working with John again. He has always been a friend of Ford, and people should remember that his first Cup win came in a Ford. We hope there will be more to come."