Wheaties to sponsor Burton in RCR's No. 31 Chevy October 14, 2011, Team Release, NASCAR.com Like Share WELCOME, N.C. -- Brand replaces Cheerios, becomes focus of sponsorship starting next season Wheaties will become a co-primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing's No. 31 Chevrolet with driver Jeff Burton beginning in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.The multi-year program will continue General Mills' primary sponsorship with RCR for key races and associate positioning for the balance of each season with the No. 31 team. The famed Wheaties brand will be replacing Cheerios as the focus of the sponsorship. and shares a rich history with RCR -- Dale Earnhardt was the first NASCAR driver to be featured on a Wheaties box and he drove a Wheaties car for the 1997 All-Star Race. RCR began its current relationship with General Mills in 2008 with the No. 33 Chevrolet and driver Clint Bowyer, sponsored by its Cheerios and Hamburger Helper brands. "With more than a dozen years in NASCAR, General Mills is looking forward to continuing our relationship with Richard Childress Racing," said Patrick Simmons, vice president for General Mills. "At the same time, we're excited about the opportunity to forge a new relationship with Wheaties and Jeff Burton. We value our association with RCR and are thrilled to be part of their organization."Burton has been part of RCR's driver lineup since midway through the 2004 Cup Series season. The 21-time race winner has qualified four times for the Chase for the Sprint Cup."I'm excited to have a company like General Mills and a brand like Wheaties join our No. 31 team," Burton said. "Wheaties is one of the most iconic brands in American history, and my kids use so many General Mills products that I'm sure we have a decent market share of the company in our pantry. I also like that they have worked hard to provide so many healthy choices.""The General Mills partnership with RCR has been terrific, as they have leveraged their program across their portfolio of leading brands as well as with their retail partners," said Ben Schlosser, RCR's chief marketing officer. "General Mills is a blue-chip sponsor in our sport and with their extremely popular brands; they help carry both RCR and NASCAR to families throughout America. Jeff Burton will be a great ambassador for their program so we are very excited to continue the relationship in the coming years." Tags