Retailing giant Dick Smith has taken naming rights sponsorship of September’s Sandown 500 V8 Supercars Championship event.

The race, which returns to its traditional home at Sandown this year following a four-year stint at Phillip Island, will be officially known as the Dick Smith Sandown 500.

The deal extends a relationship between the sponsor and the category that has existed since 2009.

The Woolworths subsidiary became the championship’s ‘official technology partner’ two years ago, leveraging its involvement through the implementation of on-track stores at selected events and supporting technology-based segments of Network Seven’s television coverage.

Dick Smith branding has also featured alongside that of fellow series partner Dunlop on V8 Supercars’ Car of the Future prototypes.

The Dick Smith partnership follows three years of Sandown event sponsorship from internet security company Symantec.

V8 Supercars plans to continue the ‘heritage’ theme that the Sandown event has carried over the last two seasons, with the historic Group A and C class headlining the support category line-up.

The Touring Car Masters and Australian Formula Ford Championship complete the September 14-16 event’s schedule.