On Tuesday Afternoon, Hendrick Motorsports announced the addition of Freightliner and Cincinnati Inc. to the sponsorship lineup for Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series next season.
Both comapnies – which have pre-existing partnerships with the organization — will increase their presence in 2021, with both companies sponsoring Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro in two NASCAR Cup Series events each, while serving as a full-season associate partner.
The events that Cincinnati Inc. and Freightliner will adorn the No. 5 have yet to be determined and will be announced at a later date.
“We’re pleased to have Cincinnati and Freightliner grow their respective partnerships with us,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “The best way we can show our appreciation is with high performance on and off the racetrack. NASCAR has tremendous momentum going into 2021, and Kyle and the No. 5 crew will certainly be one of the most exciting teams to watch this year. We look forward to seeing Cincinnati and Freightliner at the front of the field with them.”
In 2019, Cincinnati Inc. joined Hendrick Motorsports, signing an unheard of 10-year agreement with the four-car operation. The machine tool maker will now serve as the Official Metal Fabrication and Additive Equipment Provider of Hendrick Motorsports. Last March, Alex Bowman captured the company’s first victory as a primary sponsor at NASCAR’s top-level, taking home his second career victory at Auto Club Speedway.
“We are very happy to announce the expansion of our NASCAR program in 2021,” said Tim Warning, president and CEO of Cincinnati Inc. “Our entire team takes great pride in knowing that Cincinnati machines contribute to the success of Hendrick Motorsports on the racetrack, including last year’s Cup Series championship. It was also extremely powerful to see the Cincinnati car in victory lane at Auto Club Speedway in 2020, which ignited incredible enthusiasm inside our company and with our customers. We’re looking forward to building a strong relationship with Kyle and sharing in the excitement of winning more races with the No. 5 team.”
With a three-year contract extension between Freightliner and Hendrick Motorsports, the heavy-duty track manufacturer will serve as a primary sponsor on one of the team’s entries for the first-time in the 16-year relationship. Since 2004, the organization has trusted Freightliner’s trucks to transport cars and equipment to events across the country, logging over 4-million miles on the road.
“We take great pride in growing our relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and expanding our support of Kyle Larson and his team,” said Pete Hobbs, Freightliner’s vice president of on-highway market development. “Freightliner is dedicated to delivering efficiency and performance to our customers, and it’s how we set the pace for the rest of our industry. We look forward to cheering on the No. 5 this season.”
Larson is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series with Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, after being released from Chip Ganassi Racing after four events in 2020. NASCAR announced his reinstatement to be in effect January 1st, 2021, by which time, Larson had already announced his partnership for Hendrick Motorsports.
Freightliner and Cincinnati Inc. will join NationsGuard – who is set to serve as primary sponsor of Larson’s No. 5 in the first three events of 2021 — as the confirmed primary sponsors for the No. 5 Chevrolet in 2021. The team currently has 29 points-paying on the schedule where no primary partner has been announced.
