Long-Time Sponsorship Continues Through 2018 with No. 88 Team
GLEN MILLS, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA) will continue its longstanding
partnership with Hendrick Motorsports after agreeing to a contract
extension that will expand its presence and take one of the most
enduring sponsorships in NASCAR® through 2018.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Photo: Axalta)
Beginning in 2016, Axalta will become a primary sponsor of the No. 88
Chevrolet SS team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 13 Sprint Cup Series
races annually, an increase of three per season. Axalta will also be
featured as a major associate sponsor during all non-primary events.
The agreement extends a multi-faceted partnership -- now in its 23rd
full season -- that began in November 1992 when the company first
sponsored driver Jeff Gordon and his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team.
Gordon, who is in the midst of his final full-time Sprint Cup campaign,
will continue to work with Axalta as a spokesperson and global business
advisor. The multi-year
relationship was announced earlier this year.
“We began a journey 23 years ago with Hendrick Motorsports and a young
driver named Jeff Gordon. Eighty poles, 92 wins and four championships
later, we are proud of the run we’ve had with Jeff,” said Nigel Budden,
Axalta Vice President and head of its North America business. “Now, we
are delighted to continue our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and
to adorn the hood of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevy SS with the
Axalta logo in 2016. As our slogan says, ‘We Paint Winners,’ and by
joining Dale we will continue to do so for years to come.”
On the racetrack, Axalta’s relationship with Hendrick Motorsports has
yielded four Sprint Cup Series championships and 92 victories. Axalta
has hosted thousands of customers at events and fashioned some of the
most iconic paint schemes in NASCAR history. Earlier this month, the two
companies broke
ground on Axalta’s 45,000-square-foot Customer Experience Center
that will be located on the Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord,
North Carolina.
“Axalta has built a model sponsorship program,” said Rick Hendrick,
owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “For 23 years, they’ve recognized the
opportunities NASCAR provides and understood how it drives value for
their business. It’s a unique relationship that’s evolved with the times
and has been consistently effective. We’re very proud of what we’ve
accomplished as partners and look forward to more successes together
with Dale and the No. 88 team.”
Earnhardt, 40, has 25 career Sprint Cup victories, including two this
season. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native recently clinched a fifth
consecutive appearance in the championship-deciding Chase for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup and is a two-time winner of the prestigious Daytona 500. He
is NASCAR’s 12-time most popular driver, as voted by fans.
“Axalta and Hendrick Motorsports have an incredible story,” Earnhardt
said. “For me, it’s meaningful to work with a sponsor that’s been so
committed to our sport and has such a rich history in NASCAR. Continuing
the partnership is special for all of us, and I’m already excited about
what the car will look like. I’m really looking forward to the
opportunity.”
ABOUT AXALTA COATING SYSTEMS:
Axalta is a leading global company focused solely on coatings and
providing customers with innovative, colorful, beautiful and sustainable
solutions. From light OEM vehicles, commercial vehicles and refinish
applications to electric motors, buildings and pipelines, our coatings
are designed to prevent corrosion, increase productivity and enable the
materials we coat to last longer. With nearly 150 years of experience in
the coatings industry, the more than 12,800 people of Axalta continue to
find ways to serve over 120,000 customers in more than 130 countries
better every day with the finest coatings, application systems and
technology. For more information visit axaltacoatingsystems.com
and follow us @axalta on Twitter and on LinkedIn.
ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned more
than 200 race victories and a record 11 car owner championships in
NASCAR’s premier division, the Sprint Cup Series. The organization
fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup circuit with
drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs
more than 600 people. For more information, visit HendrickMotorsports.com
or interact on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
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Source: Axalta Coating Systems