NAPA AUTO PARTS RETURNS WITH ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT AS LEAD CO-PRIMARY SPONSOR

1.18.17

Alexander Rossi to Pilot
No. 98 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda For Select 2017 Events

NAPA AUTO PARTS and Alexander Rossi drove into
racing history by capturing the twin-checkers at the 100th Running
of the Indianapolis 500, and the pair will again join with Andretti Autosport
in 2017. The seven-race, co-primary sponsorship will see the reigning Indy 500 champion
take the wheel of Andretti’s No. 98 NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda starting at the 2017
Verizon IndyCar Series season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida. Rossi will then
carry NAPA Know How for races in Long Beach, Indianapolis, Road America,
Watkins Glen and Sonoma.

 

“We are
pleased to announce our continued partnership with one of the more iconic
brands in all of motorsports, the Andretti brand”
stated NAPA President,
Dan Askey. “We are equally excited to
partner with one of the rising stars in the sport in Alexander Rossi and proud
to have Alexander representing NAPA both on and off the track. We were
fortunate to come on board in May of 2016 becoming a part of history as we rode
along with Alexander capturing the 100th Running of the Indianapolis
500. Andretti Autosport remains one of the elite teams in the IndyCar Series
and we look forward to what 2017 holds.”

 

The blue and yellow NAPA livery first entered the
Andretti stable in May 2016, just in time to claim victory at the historic 100th
Running of the Indianapolis 500. Rossi then carried the NAPA branding on to
Detroit’s double header weekend. The Indy 500 winning car and livery of Rossi
can be seen on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

 

“NAPA is a
storied, American brand and I couldn’t be more proud to announce our
partnership is continuing,”
said Andretti Autosport CEO Michael Andretti. “We were pleased to have previously announced
that Alexander will be returning for the full season, and now to be able to
confirm that NAPA is back on board – what a great way for us to start 2017. Our
relationship with NAPA came together quickly during our Month of May program
last year, and it wasn’t long before the partnership was written into history
books. We can’t wait to add a few more pages to history together.”

 

“Confirming NAPA AUTO PARTS is the perfect way for us to start off
2017,”
said Rossi, 25. “NAPA is one of the most recognized brands in the U.S., and with over
6,000 stores, they touch every corner of our nation. In 2016, we had historic
success together in the Verizon IndyCar Series, however there is still much
more to accomplish. I’m proud to have NAPA back on board the No. 98 and am
motivated to carry our momentum together through 2017.”

 

Rossi joins teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay (No. 28
DHL Honda), Marco Andretti (No. 27 hhgregg Honda) and Takuma Sato (No. 26
Honda) as the battle for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series championship begins
with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The season-opener event will
be featured via live broadcast March 12 at noon ET on ABC .