Two professional football league superstars have joined together to form a new racing team.

Football hall of famer Gale Sayers and world champion most valuable player Ray Lewis, along with entrepreneur Mark Bloomquist, have formed The Milestone Co. The operation will run both cars and trucks under its new name: S&L Racing. The team will be headquartered in North Carolina.

S&L Racing’s mission is to develop a winning race team that provides opportunities for minorities and women in the sport. To achieve their objective, S&L Racing said it will start from scratch, working up to the Nextel Cup Series. The team plans to start racing this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Milestone will work with NASCAR, other racing teams and organizations and corporations to assist in providing opportunities for those looking to make a career out of racing.

"Both Ray and I are racing fans," Sayers said. "Also, we both have the same goals and desire to succeed, to win and to help others. With S&L Racing, we will be able to give people a chance to show what they can do at the highest level of sports."

"As a professional athlete and a racing fan, I’m excited to be part owner of a racing team with Gale whose goal is not only to win, but to help give people a chance to be winners," said Lewis. "We’ve been to Daytona and met with NASCAR officials. We got their official blessing, too!"

Though S&L Racing is the first venture into auto racing for both Sayers and Lewis, excelling in the sports world is nothing new for the two men. Sayers, a member of the Pro Football League Hall of Fame, played seven years with the Chicago Bears and is considered to be one of the greatest running backs in National Football League history. Lewis, a 10-year NFL veteran with the Baltimore Ravens, was the MVP for Super Bowl XXXV and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2001.

For more information about S&L Racing, contact the team at (336) 389-1700.