HICKORY, N.C. – Tide and PPI Motorsports jointly announced on Thursday that they have renewed the contract of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ricky Craven of Newburgh through 2004.

In conjunction with that announcement, Tide and PPI announced that Tide will continue to be the primary sponsor of the No. 32 Ford driven by Craven through 2004.

“Everyone has worked hard to establish the Tide team as a contender, and I’m proud of how much we’ve accomplished in such a short period of time,” Craven said. “Tide’s commitment to the program reflects the tremendous potential of this team, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that every step of the way.”

“We are excited to extend our contract with PPI Motorsports,” said Tide Brand manager Brian McNamara. “[Team owner] Cal Wells has done an outstanding job building such a strong team in two short years. This foundation, coupled with Ricky Craven’s outstanding level of experience, motivation and determination, resulted in an exciting 2001 season.”

Craven captured his first career victory in 2001 and finished 21st in the Winston Cup points race.

“With Tide’s ongoing support, we can focus on long-term plans to strengthen our competitive efforts both in-house and at the racetrack,” Wells said. “By securing Ricky for that same time frame, we’ve assured ourselves the stability and consistency needed to continue our development into a top-flight team.”