AutoTrader.com Joins Team Penske as Sponsor of No. 22 Ford Team

MOORESVILLE, N.C., Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader.com® will join Team Penske in 2014 with sponsorship of the No. 22 Ford Fusion and driver Joey Logano in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the two companies jointly announced today.  Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, AutoTrader.com will become a season-long associate sponsor on the No. 22 team and will also serve as the car's primary sponsor for the July 13 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) with a special AutoTrader.com livery.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140213/CL64595 )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110425/CL88097LOGO )

AutoTrader.com has established a successful working relationship with Penske Automotive Group (PAG) over the last few years and that partnership has now blossomed to include the Team Penske NASCAR program.  Through the relationship, AutoTrader.com will help build its brand with NASCAR fans and integrate Logano and Team Penske into its marketing programs. 

"We are thrilled to welcome AutoTrader.com to Team Penske and into our NASCAR racing program," said Roger Penske.  "AutoTrader.com is one of the most popular online solutions for buying and selling new and used vehicles. Over the last several years we have developed an outstanding partnership with them through Penske Automotive Group, our automotive dealership business. We believe that this racing relationship will help build additional value for the AutoTrader.com brand."

More than 17 million consumers visit AutoTrader.com each month to research their next vehicle purchase and browse the millions of new and used vehicles listed for sale. AutoTrader.com, the "ultimate automotive marketplace®", offers a comprehensive suite of online and mobile tools to help make the car shopping process easier, including Trade-In Marketplace, Private Seller services, vehicle reviews, text alerts, expert advice and more. 

"We're pleased to take our relationship with Penske to the next level with this new NASCAR partnership," said John Kovac, senior vice president of Marketing for AutoTrader Group. "This is a very exciting opportunity for us, and we're looking forward to a thrilling season on the track connecting with NASCAR's loyal fans and cheering Joey Logano on to Victory Lane."

AutoTrader.com's branding will be displayed on the rear quarter panel of the No. 22 Ford driven by Logano this season.  Logano, who finished eighth in Sprint Cup Series points in 2013 after making his first Chase and collecting a win and two poles along the way, will also drive the No. 22 AutoTrader.com Ford Fusion in the July 13 race at NHMS.  Logano won his first-career Sprint Cup Series race at NHMS back in 2009, as he became the youngest winner in Cup Series history at just 19 years old.

"I've already had the chance to meet with the folks from AutoTrader.com and they are really excited about getting involved with Team Penske and we are happy to have them on board," said the now 23-year-old Logano. "It will be great to have them on the car at New Hampshire, a place which is really special to me.  It's my home track, where I saw my first Sprint Cup Series race as a kid, where I made my first start in the Cup Series and where I won my first race.  So I'm really looking forward to that race in July and trying to get AutoTrader.com into Victory Lane."

The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season will get under way on Saturday night, February 15, for the official start of Daytona Speedweeks and the running of the non-points special event, the Sprint Unlimited. The NASCAR Nationwide Series season is set to begin on February 22 while the 56^th running of the Daytona 500 will take place on February 23.

About AutoTrader.com
Created in 1997, Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace. As a leading resource for car shoppers and sellers, AutoTrader.com aggregates millions of new, used and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of dealers and private sellers and provides expert articles and reviews. AutoTrader.com, which also operates the AutoTraderClassics.com auto marketing brand, is wholly owned by AutoTrader Group. Additionally, AutoTrader Group owns Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com®) as well as companies that provide a full suite of software tools that help dealers and manufacturers manage their inventory and advertising online: vAuto®, HomeNet Automotive®, VinSolutions®, AIS Rebates™, Genius Labs® and Haystak™. AutoTrader Group is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com

About Team Penske
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced more than 380 major race wins, over 430 pole positions and 25 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories in its storied history. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com

For further information: Jonathan Gibson, jonathan.gibson@penskeracing.com, (704) 962-1307; Nicole Carriere, Nicole.carriere@autotrader.com, (770) 547-7950