NASCAR notes: Penske, Hendrick add automotive sponsors

By Feb 13, 2014, 10:00 AM EST
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Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports have added new sponsors to their file for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Penske first. The organization has brought AutoTrader.com as a season-long associate and primary sponsor at the July 13 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford Fusion. Penske’s automotive organization and in recent years, the NASCAR team, has grown the business relationship.

“We are thrilled to welcome AutoTrader.com to Team Penske and into our NASCAR racing program,” Roger Penske said in a team release.  “AutoTrader.com is one of the most popular online solutions for buying and selling new and used vehicles. Over the last several years we have developed an outstanding partnership with them through Penske Automotive Group, our automotive dealership business. We believe that this racing relationship will help build additional value for the AutoTrader.com brand.”

Meanwhile at Hendrick, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevy SS will have Kelley Blue Book, the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, also on board as a season-long associate and primary for one race. In this case, it will be at Sonoma on June 22. Kelley is an AutoTrader subsidiary.

“Kelley Blue Book’s sponsorship in NASCAR is the next step in communicating our brand strength and recognition as a vehicle valuation pioneer and leader for new-car shopping and research,” Steve Lind, vice president of operations for Kelley Blue Book, said in the Hendrick release. “By supporting successful race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports, coupled with NASCAR’s brand equity, we will reach even more consumers with our message—providing helpful, transparent information on KBB.com to help car shoppers make the best decision possible.”

And here’s the livery:

NTT re-signs as IndyCar title sponsor in multiyear deal starting with the 2024 season

By Mar 27, 2023, 12:15 PM EDT
James Black/Penske Entertainment
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The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.