Hendrick Automotive Group has signed an agreement to become the anchor partner in Kyle Larson’s NASCAR Cup Series efforts with Hendrick Motorsports over the next two seasons, with the company’s brand, HendrickCars.com, serving as the primary sponsor on the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro for 35 races in both 2022 and 2023.
The agreement allows Hendrick Motorsports to add an additional season onto Larson’s contract, securing his spot with the team until 2023, while also supporting his non-NASCAR racing program, through branding to be placed on the driver’s helmet, gloves and firesuit in all of his extracirricular races. With the addition of HendrickCars.com – 35 races — and Valvoline – three races — to Larson’s program, sponsorship inventory for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season has already been completely sold.
“When we perform on the track on Sunday, we can feel the impact on Monday,” said Rick Hendrick, chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “With the chance to plan for the next two years, the program is only going to help Hendrick Automotive Group sell more cars, book more service appointments and ultimately do more business. It will also allow our company to recruit talented people and support our internal recognition and incentive programs. The more we followed the data, the easier the decision became. We are seeing clear results.”
HendrickCars.com cites five of the company’s six highest-traffic days this year have been directly correlated to the company’s sponsorship of Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports, including four days where Larson led the most laps, or won an event in the NASCAR Cup Series. In addition to the on-track boost, the paint scheme reveal for Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro prompted the site’s highest one-day visitor count in over a year. Since then, the company has seen a dramatic increase in overall traffic (+27%), vehicle sales leads (+18%), digital retail leads (+37%) and trade evaluations (+61%).
“More website traffic generates more sales leads, which ultimately help us sell more cars,” said Darryl Jackson, vice president of financial services for Hendrick Automotive Group. “Kyle’s performance on the track has delivered a measurable business return for us. The company is on pace for a record year in 2021, and we certainly see our motor sports programs contributing to that success. Racing is in our DNA, and tapping into the passionate fanbases of NASCAR, the NHRA and now Kyle’s grassroots program is both very effective and a perfect fit for who we are.”
In his first season with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson has notched an impressive four victories, with 11 top-fives and 14 top-10s – all of which are, or are tied for series-highs in 2021 — while also collecting his second victory in the NASCAR All-Star Racing. In the remaining 15 races of the season, HendrickCars.com will hold sponsorship in 10 events, with Valvoline, Cinncinati Inc. and Freightliner, set to fill the remaining five.
“It’s been a big year for Kyle,” Hendrick said. “His talent inside the race car has been on full display, and he’s doing amazing things through his foundation and with our partners. I’m proud of his hard work and look forward to having him on our team for many years to come.”
