Lucas Oil

Lucas Oil Products, Inc.
Private
Industry Automotive
Founded 1989
Headquarters Corona, California, USA
Key people
 Forrest Lucas
Bob Patison
Products Automotive additives and lubricants, motor oil, car & marine care, television (MAVTV)
Slogan "Lucas Oil, It Works!"
Website lucasoil.com

Lucas Oil Products is an American manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It was founded by trucker Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989.[1][2]

Lucas Oil is not related to LUKOIL, a Russian-owned petroleum company that owns and operates gasoline stations throughout the Northeast USA. Nor is it related to Lucas Industries, a former British manufacturer of automotive and aerospace components.

The company is a sponsor of several NASCAR, H1 Unlimited, NHRA and IndyCar events.[3] In 2005, Lucas Oil founded the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Since 2011, it has also owned the cable network MAVTV, which under its purview went from a male-focused network with a lowbrow point of view to a leading motorsports network.

On February 28, 2006, it was announced that Lucas Oil had purchased the naming rights to the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana for $120 million over 20 years.[4][5] The facility opened in 2008 and is the home field for the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. Other events that have or will be held at the stadium include the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball Regional Finals, Super Bowl XLVI (February 5, 2012), the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four, the 2016 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, and every Drum Corps International World Championship since 2009.

In 2009, Lucas Oil founded the short course off-road racing series Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. In March 2012, Lucas Oil extended their title sponsorship of the AMA Motocross series.[6]

Since 2011, Lucas Oil has been a main sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) association.[7]

At the time he purchased the mansion of Conseco co-founder Stephen Hilbert, Forrest Lucas stated, "I can justify it by having this as a corporate retreat for my employees and for my customers."[8]

Protect the Harvest

Forrest Lucas is a founder of Protect the Harvest, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that educates the public about hunting, farming, and ranching, and works in opposition to animal protection groups throughout the country. Executive Director Brian Klippenstein is also the treasurer of an allied political action committee, the Protect the Harvest PAC, which funds to assist or defeat candidates for political office.[9]

Lucas put money into the losing campaign to defeat Proposition B (designed to prevented cruelty to dogs in puppy mills)[10] in Missouri in 2010.[11]

He also invested in the winning campaign to pass Measure 1 in Missouri (designed to protect the rights of farmers)[12] in 2014.[13]

Between October 2011 and December 2012, Protect the Harvest raised approximately $927,000. In 2012, according to FEC records, Lucas Oil contributed $200,000 to Protect the Harvest to fund advertisements against Christie Vilsack, who challenged and lost to incumbent congressman Steve King. Protect the Harvest also received funds from American Action Network, a group led by former senator Norm Coleman, and a group called Missouri Farmers Care.[14]

Protect the Harvest is also a supporter of "right-to-farm" laws as proposed or supported by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).[15]

Remarks of Charlotte Lucas on minorities

In October 2014, Lucas Oil co-founder and executive vice president Charlotte Lucas posted to her Facebook page: "I’m sick and tired of minorities running our country! As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think that atheists (minority), muslims [sic] (minority) nor any other minority group has the right to tell the majority of the people in the United States what they can and cannot do here. Is everyone so scared that they can’t fight back for what is right or wrong with his country?" The posting was later deleted.[16] Charlotte Lucas issued an apology for the post stating, "I apologize to everyone for the insensitive comments posted on my Facebook account. My comments did not reflect my personal views about any individual or minority group, only my frustration that our government system sometimes seems out of balance. We live in a great country, but the agenda for our elected officials is too often dictated by special interest groups. My comments did not reflect my true feelings, and I am sorry for anyone who may have been offended." [17]

Subsequent to Mrs. Lucas's remarks, Robert Patison, general counsel for Lucas Oil Products, issued a statement on behalf of the company: “We provide significant financial support for a broad range of organizations that serve the needs of veterans, women (in fact, women are not a minority since women slightly out number men in most of the world), other minority groups, and disadvantaged individuals throughout the United States. Fairness and equality are core values of our company.”[18]

On Lucas Oil letterhead, Forrest Lucas published a newspaper advertisement apologizing for his wife's remarks, writing "Her words were hurtful to many and disappointing to all."[19]

In an interview, Mr. Lucas said that he did not believe that the incident involving his wife would cause any harm to his company's relationship with the Colts.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Forrest Lucas biography". Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  2. ↑ "The making of the Lucas Oil empire". CNN. February 16, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2012.
  3. ↑ "About Lucas Oil Products". NHRA. Archived from the original on October 30, 2005. Retrieved November 11, 2005.
  4. ↑ "Lucas Oil dominates motorsports and the CORR Title: Sponsorship package is one key ingredient". DesertRacing. 2005-01-21.
  5. ↑ Monte Burke (2010-08-27). "10 Minutes with Forrest Lucas, Founder of Lucas Oil". Forbes. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  6. ↑ Tripp Mickle (2012-03-12). "Lucas Oil Signs Multiyear Extension Of AMA Motocross Series Title Sponsorship". Sports Business Journal Daily. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  7. ↑ Professional Bull Riders - National Partners
  8. ↑ http://www.wthr.com/story/13278219/forrest-lucas-buys-hilbert-mansion
  9. ↑ http://all-len-all.com/radical-animal-rights-movement-gets-new-foe/
  10. ↑ Statutory Amendment to Chapter 273, Relating to Dog Breeders. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  11. ↑ http://todaysfarmermagazine.com/mag/905-a-promise-to-protect
  12. ↑ Amendment to the right of Missouri citizens to engage in agricultural production and ranching practices shall not be infringed.Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  13. ↑ http://todaysfarmermagazine.com/mag/905-a-promise-to-protect
  14. ↑ http://all-len-all.com/radical-animal-rights-movement-gets-new-foe/
  15. ↑ http://all-len-all.com/radical-animal-rights-movement-gets-new-foe/
  16. ↑ "Lucas Oil founder Facebook rant: ‘I’m sick and tired of minorities running our country!’". Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Charlotte Lucas Issues Statement Apologizing for Facebook Post". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  18. ↑ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/5/lucas-oil-founder-is-sick-and-tired-of-minorities-/
  19. ↑ http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/10/09/forrest-lucas-apologizes-ad-wifes-comments-minorities/16961945/
  20. ↑ http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/movies/2014/10/16/forrest-lucas-oil-stadium-heartland-film-festival-indianapolis/17354639/

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