CONCORD, N.C. – WeatherTech, a company with a long history in motorsports and a familiar brand to race fans, will partner with two of the most visible drivers and teams in NASCAR for the 2025 season.
Between Shane van Gisbergen in the Cup Series and Connor Zilisch in the Xfinity Series, WeatherTech will be the featured sponsor in 36 NASCAR races in 2025.
“When I wanted to spread our WeatherTech racing wings and get involved in NASCAR racing, our research for the best team to partner with came down to Trackhouse because we share the common values of excellence and integrity, along with their ingrained mantra of working hard to succeed and win,” said WeatherTech founder David MacNeil. “At WeatherTech, we couldn’t be happier with how our first year has unfolded and are looking forward to a successful 2025 with Trackhouse.”
WeatherTech, headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, is a leading manufacturer of premium American-made automotive accessories and home and pet care products. The company has a long history in sports car racing in America and became the IMSA title sponsor in 2016 and extended its agreement through 2030. It also serves as the primary sponsor of van Gisbergen in 2024 during his rookie campaign in the Xfinity Series.
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“WeatherTech has been in racing a long time and they understand what it takes to succeed in the marketplace as well as on the race track,” said van Gisbergen, 35, who is a native of Auckland, New Zealand. “In fact, I have raced with (David MacNeil’s son) Cooper MacNeil in IMSA. They have been a huge supporter of mine this year, and I’m looking forward to taking WeatherTech to the Cup Series in 2025. We both know there will be a huge learning curve, but we’re ready for the challenge.”
Van Gisbergen’s story is now familiar to most NASCAR fans. Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks convinced van Gisbergen to climb behind the wheel of Trackhouse’s Project 91 Chevrolet at the inaugural Chicago Street Race in 2023.
Marks created Project 91 in 2022 to expand the organization’s global reach by fielding a Cup Series entry for renowned international racing drivers. 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Räikkönen raced for Project 91 at Watkins Glen International in 2022 and at Circuit of The Americas in 2023.
The NASCAR world took notice of van Gisbergen at Chicago in 2023 when he led nine laps and won the race by 1.259 seconds in overtime, becoming one of six foreign-born drivers to win a Cup Series race and the first driver since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 to win his first Cup Series start.
Van Gisbergen has raced full-time with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series in 2024, winning at Portland International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway and the Chicago Street Race. He’s also raced in eight Cup Series races in 2024.
While Trackhouse Racing sought out van Gisbergen south of the equator, it only had to go to nearby Mooresville, North Carolina, to find Zilisch who will race with the perennial championship-contending JR Motorsports organization. JR Motorsports, founded and owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley, has launched the careers of NASCAR stars like William Byron, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick and others.
Zilisch has compiled an impressive resume this season that includes winning his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen in August. He’s also won the Rolex 24 in Daytona, the Twelve Hours of Sebring, four ARCA races and a CARS Tour event. He won the pole in his Craftsman Truck Series debut at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas in March.
While he will be a new face in the Xfinity Series in 2025, Zilisch has long been a fan of WeatherTech, stemming from his sports car racing in IMSA.
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“WeatherTech has been part of racing ever since I started,” said Zilisch, who honed his skills on the road courses of Europe and the short tracks of America before joining Trackhouse Racing as a development driver in January. “WeatherTech has played such a significant role in the success of sports car racing in America so I feel honored I can carry their brand to the Xfinity Series. Plus, I love the paint scheme and hope to have it near the front on Saturdays and then watch Shane on Sundays in 2025.”
The No. 88 is a historic number in NASCAR. In the Cup Series, the car number has made the trip to Victory Lane 76 times by legends including Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, Donnie Allison, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, Buddy Baker and others. In the Xfinity Series, the No. 88 has won 13 times.
Both van Gisbergen and Zilisch hope to add to those numbers in 2025.