Partnership with hometown track will debut during Oct. 3 zMAX CARS Tour event featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr., Landon Huffman

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (September 17, 2026) – Sugarlands Distilling Company and High Rock Vodka today announced an official partnership with Newport Speedway, expanding the brands’ longstanding commitment to grassroots racing while establishing a new presence at Sugarlands’ hometown track in East Tennessee.

As part of the agreement, Sugarlands and High Rock will become official partners of Newport Speedway, with a year-round presence at the track, including branded signage and bars serving Sugarlands and High Rock products. The partnership will officially launch Saturday, October 3, when the zMAX CARS Tour makes its first visit to Newport Speedway with both its Late Model Stock and Pro Late Model divisions.

The event will bring several familiar faces from the Sugarlands family to East Tennessee. Newport natives and longtime Sugarlands partners Mark Ramsey and Eric “Digger” Manes will also hold a fan meet-and-greet at the event. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who co-created High Rock Vodka with his wife, Amy Earnhardt, and Sugarlands will compete at Newport, while longtime Sugarlands and High Rock partner Landon Huffman will drive in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock race.

Mark and Digger have partnered with Sugarlands for more than a decade, collaborating on several popular moonshine products. The duo appearing on-site at Newport Speedway for the Oct. 3 race adds another hometown connection to the partnership and the CARS Tour’s visit to East Tennessee.

“What’s happening at Newport Speedway is bringing the excitement of grassroots racing back to East Tennessee, right in our backyard,” said Patrick Sullivan, Chief Revenue Officer at Sugarlands Distilling Company. “Supporting short-track racing has been an important part of Sugarlands and High Rock for years, and we’re proud to bring that commitment even closer to home. With Landon, Dale, Mark and Digger all being at Newport, we couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the partnership than with the CARS Tour race on October 3.”

The Newport Speedway partnership continues Sugarlands Distilling Company’s extensive involvement in motorsports. Sugarlands and High Rock have supported drivers, teams, tracks and events across multiple levels of racing, with a particular emphasis on grassroots and short-track competition.

Huffman has been a longtime partner of Sugarlands Distilling Company, with the relationship dating back to 2022. Over the years, Huffman has carried several Sugarlands brands on his race cars, including Sugarlands, High Rock Vodka and Broken Antler Flavored Whiskey, across a variety of events.

High Rock’s connection to racing extends to the brand itself. Sugarlands Distilling Company created the premium, handcrafted vodka in collaboration with NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Earnhardt. High Rock is distilled seven times and triple-filtered using the Lincoln County Process to smooth and mellow the finish.

For Sugarlands, the partnership also provides an opportunity to support the resurgence of a historic East Tennessee short track close to home. Originally opened in 1956, Newport Speedway has been part of the region’s racing history for decades, operating at various times as Newport Speedway, Cocke County Speedway and 411 Motor Speedway. Following years of inactivity, the track reopened in 2025 after an extensive revitalization and has quickly attracted a growing schedule of regional and national racing events.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Sugarlands and High Rock to the Newport Speedway family,” said Chuck Ward, Newport Speedway owner. “Sugarlands is an iconic East Tennessee brand with deep roots in motorsports, so this partnership is a natural fit for what we’re building here in Newport. We’re bringing short-track racing back in a big way, and to do it alongside a homegrown partner like Sugarlands, and with Newport’s own Mark and Digger joining us for the CARS Tour weekend, makes it even more special.”

The Oct. 3 zMAX CARS Tour event will mark the series’ first visit to Newport Speedway, with both the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour and zMAX CARS Pro Late Model Tour competing. The Pro Late Model race is scheduled for 7 p.m., followed by the Late Model Stock feature at 8:30 p.m. Tickets to the races are available at www.thenewportspeedway.com/tickets/carstour/. Fans unable to attend the event can watch live on FloRacing.

About Sugarlands Distilling Co.

Sugarlands Distilling Company is a family-owned craft distillery located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Since opening its doors in 2014, Sugarlands has grown into a house of award-winning brands, including Sugarlands Shine, Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream, High Rock Vodka, Roaming Man Whiskey and Broken Antler Flavored Whiskey. The company also partners with Azulejos Tequila, a family-owned ultra-premium tequila brand, to support national growth and distribution.

Launched in 2022 in collaboration with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his wife, Amy Earnhardt, High Rock Vodka is distilled seven times and then triple-filtered using the Lincoln County Process. Made famous by Tennessee whiskeys, the Lincoln County Process uses sugar maple charcoal to smooth and mellow the finish.

Roaming Man has received widespread industry acclaim, earning four Double Gold medals at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition over the past five years (2021, 2023, and two in 2025), and being named Best Whiskey in the 2019 American Craft Spirits Association Awards.

Sugarlands’ vibrant Gatlinburg Distillery has been voted the top craft spirits distillery tasting room in America by USA TODAY 10Best for three consecutive years (2023-2025). It welcomes over one million visitors each year. A proud community supporter, Sugarlands Distilling Company has donated nearly $1 million to nonprofits nationwide through their giveback program, MoonShare.

For more information, please visit www.sugarlands.com and follow Sugarlands on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @SugarlandsShine.

About High Rock Vodka

High Rock is a premium, handcrafted vodka co-created by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Amy Earnhardt in collaboration with Sugarlands Distilling Company. Beginning with a base of 100% corn and crisp, clean water from the Great Smoky Mountains, High Rock Vodka is distilled seven times and then triple-filtered using the Lincoln County Process. Made famous by Tennessee whiskeys, the Lincoln County Process uses sugar maple charcoal to smooth and mellow the finish. High Rock has won dozens of prestigious tasting awards and has been named Best Craft Vodka in the USA TODAY 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards for three straight years (2023–2025).

For more information, visit HighRockVodka.com and follow High Rock on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @HighRockVodka

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Media Contacts:
Sammy Eanes
Sugarlands Distilling Co.
[email protected]
540-525-0864