Company To Sponsor Both No. 2 and No. 22 Fords in 2016 and Beyond
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 14, 2016) – Team Penske and Autotrader, the popular online car shopping website and app, today announced a multi-year extension that will see the companies build on their partnership in 2016 and beyond. As part of the new agreement, the Autotrader brand will be featured on both the No. 2 and No. 22 Ford Fusion cars driven by Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, respectively, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with each driver running primary races in the Autotrader livery this season.
Keselowski will race the Autotrader Ford Fusion on Feb. 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and again on August 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway, while Logano will have the familiar orange No. 22 Autotrader design in the April 17 event at Bristol. Logano will also run an Autotrader/Shell-Pennzoil co-branded car at the July 9 event at Kentucky Speedway. Autotrader will continue to be featured as an associate sponsor on both cars throughout the course of the season.
“We are fortunate to expand our relationship with Autotrader beginning in 2016,” said Roger Penske. “The entire Autotrader team has embraced motorsports and the marketing opportunities that racing brings over the last couple of years and we are excited that they view Team Penske as a long-term partner. As Penske Automotive Group continues to work with Autotrader to promote our vehicles, we look forward to bringing Autotrader to Victory Lane with our cars and help them build their brand along the way.”
The two companies began their relationship prior to the 2014 season as Autotrader became an associate sponsor on the No. 22 machine driven by Logano. Over each of the last two seasons, Autotrader has adorned the side of the Logano’s Sprint Cup Series Ford, with special paint schemes featured at select races. Logano nearly earned a win for Autotrader last season at Kentucky Speedway, where he finished second after leading 23 laps late in the race. Logano earned a series-best six wins in 2015, including winning the Daytona 500, en route to a sixth-place finish in the point standings, while Keselowski earned one victory and finished seventh in points.
“After a couple of very successful seasons with Team Penske, we decided to expand the partnership,” said John Kovac, senior vice president of marketing at Cox Automotive, which is the parent company of Autotrader. “With both Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski sporting the Autotrader brand, this year promises to be a thrilling season on the track for us, and we’re looking forward to engaging with NASCAR’s loyal fans and cheering our drivers on to Victory Lane.”
More than 17 million consumers visit the Autotrader site each month to research their next vehicle purchase and browse the millions of new, used and certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles listed for sale. As the ultimate automotive marketplace, Autotrader offers a comprehensive suite of online and mobile tools to help make the car shopping process easier, including more than four million listings for vehicles, Private Seller services, vehicle reviews, text alerts, expert advice and more.
The 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will get underway on Saturday night, Feb. 13, for the official start of Daytona Speedweeks and the running of the non-points special event, the Sprint Unlimited, while the 58th running of the Daytona 500 will take place on Feb. 21.
About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most visited third-party car shopping site, with the most engaged audience of in-market shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today’s empowered consumer looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader’s comprehensive marketing solutions guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience.
Autotrader is wholly owned by Cox Automotive which owns Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com®), Manheim Auctions, Dealertrack® and a portfolio of software companies that optimize inventory and advertising online. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.
About Team Penske
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports and is celebrating its 50th Anniversary during the 2016 season. Dating back to its first race in the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 420 major race wins, over 480 pole positions and 28 National Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. In its storied history, the team has also earned 16 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula One win and overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Over 80 drivers have raced for Team Penske over the years. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.
