Financial institution also sponsors Roush Fenway Racing ride
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona International Speedway welcomed a familiar face in another major corporate partnership as DIS President Joie Chitwood III announced Tuesday that Fifth Third Bank will serve as the official bank of NASCAR’s most iconic track.
It’s an extension of Fifth Third Bank’s NASCAR involvement, which already includes a multiyear sponsorship deal with Roush Fenway Racing and the No. 17 Ford driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was on hand Tuesday in Orlando for the announcement.
“Fact of the matter is we are all in,” Fifth Third Bank (North Florida) CEO Brian Lamb said. “If you look at our motorsports involvement, it is strategic and long-term with resources we’re willing to invest and be a contributor to the industry.
“If you look at stock car racing, it overlays with the Fifth Third footprint. If you look at the 15 NASCAR tracks in and around our 12-state footprint from a business standpoint, it just makes good business sense for us to be involved in NASCAR.
“We’ve done a tremendous amount of work with dealerships and automobile manufacturers for over 100 years. So being focused on a motorsports strategy just aligns naturally with Fifth Third Bank.”
With only a few days before the NASCAR nation arrives in Daytona Beach for the Coke Zero 400 weekend, Chitwood was all smiles about the newest big-name corporation to align itself so powerfully with the track, which is undergoing a $400 million “reimagining” renovation called DAYTONA Rising.
Not only is Fifth Third Bank the official bank of the property but is an official partner of the Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola (Sunday, July 5, 7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM).
What’s good for DIS is also a good sign for the sport as a whole.
“Anytime you have a partner and they want to grow their footprint, it tells you the sport is working for them and accomplishing their goals,” Chitwood said. “Now Fifth Third joins us as our official bank so fan engagement opportunities, corporate hospitality and more importantly they are going to have their brand on ATMs all over the property servicing the fans. That’s a real positive sign for NASCAR, the sport and Daytona International Speedway.
“We all know this business is tougher and tougher and sponsors want to see certain metrics, they want to see a return on the investment so obviously those indicators must be very good because we’re seeing a partner grow the footprint. It’s a real positive and everyone should feel good about that.”