Rossi Renews with Andretti Autosport, Honda, NAPA, AutoNation
LEXINGTON, OHIO (Sat., July 27, 2019) — Alexander Rossi will continue to call Andretti Autosport home after extending his tenure with the team on a multi-year agreement. The championship contender will return in 2020 and beyond to pilot the No. 27 Honda, with primary sponsorship divided between long-time team partners NAPA AUTO PARTS and AutoNation.
“We’ve been working hard on this, and I’m happy to see everything come together,” said Andretti Autosport Chairman and CEO, Michael Andretti. “Since 2016, we’ve built a strong relationship with NAPA AUTO PARTS – they’re such a natural fit for the series, Alexander and for the team and we’re pleased to be able to continue working with them into 2020 and beyond. We first met AutoNation through Ryan Hunter-Reay – and we can’t thank Ryan enough for his support and efforts in helping the continued growth of that relationship. It’s been exciting to see AutoNation grow within the sport, and to see them now welcome Alexander to their family is just great.”
NAPA AUTO PARTS first appeared as a partner with the Andretti Autosport team in 2016 for the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 where Rossi drove his NAPA Racing machine to victory lane. Headquartered in Atlanta, NAPA AUTO PARTS will paint the No. 27 racing machine at nine races, including the 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and for the championship run up to the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
“We are pleased to announce our extension with Andretti Autosport and Alexander Rossi,” stated Gaylord Spencer, NAPA Senior Vice President - Marketing. “Since our initial partnership back in May of 2016, when NAPA was fortunate enough to ride along to a historic win at the 100th Running of the Indy 500, the team at Andretti Autosport and Alexander have continued to represent us well both on and off the track. Alexander brings a unique style to IndyCar that resonates well with many loyal fans of Indy car racing. NAPA is honored to play a small part in keeping this winning combination together for many years to come.”
AutoNation, America’s largest automotive retailer, has been a long-time partner with the championship winning team providing associate support for Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti and made their IndyCar Series primary sponsorship debut at the 2017 Indianapolis 500. The past two seasons, AutoNation’s DRVPNK campaign decorated Marco Andretti’s race car for the doubleheader event in Detroit. The NTT IndyCar Series circuit will see an AutoNation livery featured at seven events including the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the INDYCAR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the Detroit Grand Prix.
“Alexander is a great addition to the AutoNation Team,” said Marc Cannon, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for AutoNation. “We look forward to a very successful run for the No. 27 AutoNation / NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda. AutoNation continues to partner with great drivers and co-sponsors; 2020 is going to be a memorable IndyCar season.”
Rossi boasts a total of seven wins (Indianapolis ’16, Watkins Glen ‘17, Long Beach ’18, Mid-Ohio ’18, Pocono ’18, Long Beach ’19, Road America ’19) and 18 podiums in just 62 starts. Finishing second in the 2018 championship, Rossi currently sits second in the championship, 29 points from the lead with five races remaining. The 2020 season will mark Rossi’s fifth season in the NTT IndyCar Series, each with Andretti Autosport and Honda.
“It feels good to continue with Andretti Autosport,” said Rossi. “Over the past four years, we’ve built a very strong team with great chemistry and I believe that we have the tools necessary to win races and championships. I’m looking forward to not just calling this my team, but my home in the IndyCar Series. Michael [Andretti], J-F [Thormann], Doug [Bresnahan] and the entire team have been working very hard to put all the pieces of this deal together and it’s definitely a relief to have the future settled and be able to focus on the championship fight ahead of us.
“It’s fantastic to have NAPA AUTO PARTS, AutoNation and Honda supporting the 27 program. I’ve had the pleasure of developing a great relationship with both NAPA and Honda and couldn’t imagine not having them in my corner. AutoNation has always had a strong partnership with the team through Ryan [Hunter-Reay] and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to represent the Drive Pink campaign and getting to know the AutoNation team better.”
The Andretti Autosport team will also continue to drive under Honda Power in 2020 as part of a multi-year extension. Together, Andretti Autosport and Honda Performance Development have captured three championships and five Indianapolis 500 wins. In addition, the team has collected 55 Indy car wins with Honda power. In 2018, Honda won the NTT IndyCar Series manufacturers championship with 11 wins in 17 races. Honda currently leads Chevrolet in a tight battle for the 2019 championship.
“We have a longstanding relationship of success with Honda and we’re happy to continue to build accolades together” continued Andretti. “All five of our Indy 500 wins have come under Honda power, and I’m looking forward to working with the entire HPD team to add to that count.”
“This is an important moment for Honda Performance Development,” said Ted Klaus, President, Honda Performance Development. “Andretti Autosport is unquestionably one of the premier teams in the NTT IndyCar Series, and we are gratified to earn their confidence for the foreseeable future. At HPD, our first goal every season is winning the Indianapolis 500, and Andretti Autosport has won more ‘500s’ for Honda than any other team. That said, HPD is fortunate to work with multiple high-caliber racing organizations. This commitment from Andretti Autosport strengthens our entire effort, as we move into the next era of Indy car competition.”
Rossi continued his quest to capture his first championship by securing a P5 finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this past weekend, his tenth top-five finish of the season. The next race is Aug. 18 at Pocono Raceway.
For more information, visit AndrettiAutosport.com.
About NAPA AUTO PARTS
NAPA (www.NAPAonline.com) was founded in 1925 to meet America's growing need for an auto parts distribution system. Today NAPA has grown to more than 6,000 NAPA AUTO PARTS stores, 57 distribution centers with more than 500,000 part numbers in inventory and more than 17,000 NAPA AutoCare and AutoCare Collision Centers nationwide.
About AutoNation, Inc.
AutoNation, America's largest automotive retailer, is transforming the automotive industry through its bold leadership, innovation, and comprehensive brand extensions. As of June 30, 2019, AutoNation owned and operated over 325 locations from coast to coast. AutoNation has sold over 12 million vehicles, the first automotive retailer to reach this milestone. AutoNation's success is driven by a commitment to delivering a peerless experience through customer-focused sales and service processes. Launched in 2015, AutoNation’s Drive Pink initiative, which has raised over $20 million, is committed to drive out cancer, create awareness, and support critical research. AutoNation continues to be a proud supporter of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and other cancer-related charities.
Please visit investors.autonation.com, www.autonation.com, www.autonationdrive.com, www.twitter.com/CEOCherylMiller, and www.twitter.com/AutoNation, where AutoNation discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations.
About Honda Performance Development
HPD was founded in 1993 to spearhead American Honda’s entry into Indy car racing. No other manufacturer has matched the company’s success in Indy cars, which includes 242 race victories (through Iowa 2019), 16 drivers’ championships, seven competitive manufacturers’ championships and 12 Indianapolis 500 victories since 2004.
For more information about HPD and the company’s racing product lines, please visit http://hpd.honda.com.
About Honda
Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2018, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
About Andretti Autosport
Andretti Autosport, led by racing legend Michael Andretti, boasts a wide racing portfolio rooted in tradition and designed for success.
Under the banners of Andretti Autosport, Andretti Rallycross and Andretti Formula E, the Indianapolis-based team fields multiple entries across the Indy Car Series, Indy Lights, the FIA Formula E Championship, the GT4 America Series and Americas Rallycross. The team also competes as Walkinshaw Andretti United in the Australian Supercars category through partnership with Walkinshaw Racing and United Autosports.
The global racing enterprise boasts four Indy Car Series championships, three Indy Light titles, one Pro Mazda championship and has captured victory five times at the famed Indianapolis 500 race. The team also holds two X Games Gold Medals and four U.S. rallycross championships.
