DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona International Speedway formally welcomed Axalta Coating Systems as its fifth Founding Partner on Monday.
The 150-year-old company will name the center injector of the newly remodeled speedway — its 32,000 square feet of “branding and engagement opportunities” will occupy not only center “stage” for the facility, but also will be the largest available injector space. Sunoco, Toyota, Chevrolet, and Florida Hospital own the naming rights for the other four injectors.
Axalta executives joined Speedway leaders such as ISC Chief Executive Officer Lesa France Kennedy and newly named Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile for the occasion on a bright, sunny Monday afternoon just outside the site of Axalta’s new branding opportunity.
“Axalta has been an incredible partner in our sport for many years,” France Kennedy said, noting “their activation will enable us to further enhance the fan and spectator experience, which is the main focus of our new stadium.”
Wile — in his first major press conference since being named president of NASCAR’s most famous track — said he fully expected the relationship with Axalta would help the track “be taken to the next level.”
Speaking to the excitement the brand brings and noting its longtime relationship with the sport — including its former sponsorship of recently retired driver Jeff Gordon‘s Chevrolet and currently with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s — Axalta Chairman and CEO Charlie Shaver called the DIS union “a huge milestone for us” and expected it to be a “a bit of a blank canvas to start the next 150 years” of the company.
“We wanted a presence,” Shaver said. “And the appeal for us is furthering a relationship and having that presence. We have the branding rights, but also a relationship.”
Shaver said he initially considered his company’s branding opportunities at DIS more than a year ago as construction of the new facility was still in full swing. He said he even sat down with multi-time NASCAR champion owner, and longtime NASCAR participant Rick Hendrick to discuss ideas.
“We talked about where the sport is and where it could be,” Shaver said.
He noted that the company is technology-based and it will feature a strong business-to-business relationship in using its new DIS platform.
“During the year we’ll bring groups of customers with us to the track,” Shaver said, noting it has more than 120,000 company-based relationships and that most customers would “jump at the chance” to come to Daytona International Speedway.
The relationship between Axalta and DIS gives the company not only naming rights for the center injector, but branding rights inside the new-look track and the central “neighborhood” area that overlooks the track’s famous start/finish line.