While Las Vegas is known to many as “the gambling capital of the world” – or if you’re a diehard NASCAR fan, the hometown of NASCAR Champions Kurt and Kyle Busch — the city with an extravagant night life, is also home to a rapidly growing tech industry.
HighPoint – a primary sponsor of Chase Briscoe’s No. 98 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — has taken notice of the rapidly growing industry, and is using the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as an opportunity to plant its flag in the ground of the next tech hub in the United States, by being the primary sponsor of Aric Almirola’s No. 10 Ford Mustang.
Almirola, driver of the No. 10 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang in the South Point 400, is one of the more tech-savvy drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. Even before COVID-19 led to remote competition meetings via Microsoft Teams and countless media availabilities by way of Zoom, Almirola managed life via his phone and laptop.
“IT needs continue to grow for everyone, as does the complexity and the scalability of those needs. Speed and security are equally important, and we’ve found NASCAR to be an excellent way to tell that story,” said Mike Mendiburu, president and CEO of HighPoint. “The Las Vegas market has seen tremendous growth, not just in its existing industries like gaming and entertainment, but in tech. The amount of companies relocating to Southern Nevada is profound, and we’re using the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as a way to familiarize these companies with HighPoint.”
HighPoint is the official IT solutions provider for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). HighPoint joined SHR in January where it has served as the primary sponsor for Chase Briscoe in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the stepping-stone division to the elite NASCAR Cup Series. Briscoe has delivered, winning a series-high seven races and earning the No. 1 seed to start the playoffs. But when the opportunity came to be the primary partner of SHR’s No. 10 team with Almirola at Las Vegas, HighPoint seized the moment.
“Our entry into NASCAR has quickly opened doors that might’ve taken years for us to open,” Mendiburu said. “When the chance came to become a primary sponsor in the NASCAR Cup Series in a market as important as Las Vegas, it was a no-brainer. It’s a quick and high-profile way for HighPoint to stand out and let businesses know who we are and what we’re about – serving our customers as a trusted advisor on how they acquire, consume and adopt technology.”
“NASCAR is the perfect intersection of sports and business,” said Mike Verlander, executive vice president of sales and marketing, SHR. “It’s our job to put competitive race cars on the track that can win and compete for a championship, but it’s also our job to facilitate B2B partnerships. Success for us transcends the racetrack. Putting HighPoint in touch with Haas Automation and facilitating new business opportunities is one example of how we deliver for our partners.”
“Las Vegas also holds special meaning for me. I literally bumped into Chase Briscoe’s dad on the sidewalk of The Strip last November before we were even a partner of Chase and Stewart-Haas Racing. He’s a genuine guy and you can tell that with Chase the apple did not fall far from the tree. It was a chance encounter that reaffirmed our decision to align with Chase and SHR.”
Aric Almirola will be looking to score a victory on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as the 36-year old enters the second round of the playoffs tied for the eighth and final spot in the next round of the playoffs. In 14 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Almirola has finished inside the top-ten on three occasions.
