The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) has joined 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports as the Official Beverage Partner of driver Chase Elliott and his No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team.
Throughout the 2023 season, Atlanta-based Coca-Cola will appear as an associate sponsor of Elliott’s race cars beginning with Sunday’s 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX). The iconic beverage brand will also adorn the No. 9 team’s uniforms and equipment.
Coca-Cola has an extensive history in motor sports including title sponsorship of NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, since 1985. Its storied partnerships include race car drivers such as Elliott’s father, 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott.
“Coca-Cola is proud to welcome Chase to its Coca-Cola Racing Family and launch its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports,” said Chris Bigda, director of sports marketing, The Coca-Cola Company, North America. “Continuing to partner with the Elliott family is an honor and thrilling legacy, as Chase joins our Coca-Cola Racing Family 25 years after his father Bill Elliott was a founding member back in 1998. We’re excited for our future together and refreshing this championship team on and off the track.”
Elliott is the third-youngest driver to win a Cup championship, a feat he accomplished in 2020. The 27-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native has 18 points-paying wins across seven full-time seasons in NASCAR’s premier series and has been voted by fans as the sport’s Most Popular Driver for five consecutive years (2018-2022). In 2022, he captured a series-leading five victories, earned the regular-season title and made his seventh playoff appearance, advancing to the Championship 4 for the third straight year.
“I’m excited to partner with an iconic brand like Coca-Cola that has Georgia roots just like me,” Elliott said. “Coke has a deep history in the sport and I’m proud to represent a company that has backed some of NASCAR’s greatest drivers throughout the years, including my dad. I look forward to seeing what we will accomplish together this season and hopefully for years to come.”
With 14 championships and 291 points-paying race wins, Hendrick Motorsports is the most successful team in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series. On Sunday, the organization will seek its record-tying ninth victory in the season-opening DAYTONA 500.
“Chase and Coca-Cola are a perfect match on so many levels,” said Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. “Pairing one of the world’s most recognized brands with the sport’s Most Popular Driver will present a lot of opportunities. The No. 9 team is poised for another great year, so we plan to keep plenty of Coke on ice and celebrate those big moments together.”
HMS PR