Nationwide to become primary sponsor for 21 Sprint Cup races a season
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Nationwide Insurance will increase its involvement with the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015, according to a news release from the team.
The company, which announced a three-year agreement in May of this year, will increase its primary sponsorship of the No. 88 entry from 12 Sprint Cup races to 21 annually, including the season-opening Daytona 500.
Nationwide Insurance, based in Columbus, Ohio, is in the final year of a seven-year agreement as entitlement series sponsor for NASCAR and currently has endorsement deals with Sprint Cup drivers Earnhardt Jr., Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Danica Patrick. The company also is the official auto, home, life and business insurance of NASCAR and presenting sponsor of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.
"We're thrilled to be deepening our partnership with the Hendrick Motorsports team," Matt Jauchius, Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide Insurance, said. "We look forward to seeing Nationwide on the No. 88 for NASCAR's biggest races over the next three seasons.
Earnhardt Jr., voted the series' most popular driver for 11 consecutive years and a winner of 22 Sprint Cup races, currently carries primary sponsorship from Diet Mt. Dew and the National Guard, as well as individual events with funding from Kelley Blue Book and Michael Baker International.
Nationwide Insurance will also be featured on the No. 88 for this weekend's Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
"That Nationwide has already elected to grow the sponsorship," said team owner Rick Hendrick, "sends a clear message about the opportunities they see and how well our teams are working together.
"It's quickly become a strong relationship, and we're committed to building on that foundation and delivering results in ever facet of the program."
The National Guard announced earlier this season that it would end its NASCAR sponsorship involvement at the close of the 2014 season. Hendrick officials, however, say that the Guard sponsorship is scheduled to continue through '15, and that talks about the program are continuing.
"Representing the National Guard and its Citizen Soldiers is an extraordinary honor and a source of pride for our entire organization," officials said in a statement released today. "Communication is ongoing with regard to the future of the sponsorship, which is contracted through the 2015 season."
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