By Frank Santoroski, Staff Writer
Hulman & Co., the parent of IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, have announced a mulityear partnership with MillerCoors, the second-largest brewer in the United States.
The sponsorship arrangement will see the brewer named as the Official Beer and Cider of the Verizon Indycar Series. Coors Light will serve as the lead brand of the IndyCar partnership. However, other MillerCoors products will be integrated into the program, most notably, Henry’s Hard Soda, whose logo will adorn the Penske car of Juan Pablo Montoya at Indianapolis in May.
“We’re delighted to welcome MillerCoors back to IndyCar and excited to add another commercial partner to the Verizon IndyCar Series,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co. “The key to this partnership is MillerCoors’ plans to activate in many of our race markets, which we’re confident is an essential component in furthering the momentum of the Verizon IndyCar Series this season.”
Coors Light had recently signed on as an associate sponsor for the Boston Grand Prix, and the company has also had a long association with Penske Racing, with the Miller Lite brand currently sponsoring Brad Keselowski in NASCAR.
“Becoming the official beer sponsor of the Verizon IndyCar Series perfectly rounds out our activation and consumer engagement with the sport,” said Adam Dettman, director of sports and entertainment marketing at MillerCoors. “Whether it’s through the league sponsorship, track and race alliances, or our long-standing partnership with Penske Racing, we’ll use our portfolio of brands to connect with race fans and add to the excitement surrounding the sport.”
The MillerCoors company was born out of the 2007 merger between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company. In addition to the Miller and Coors branded beverages, the Chicago, IL-based company also produces Blue Moon, Molson, Crispin Cider, Leinenkugel’s, Redd’s, Henry’s Hard Soda, and Saint Archer.
The company operates eight major breweries in the United States, as well as a number of craft breweries and microbreweries.
Over the years, many of the top names in IndyCar have driven cars sponsored by the MillerCoors family of brands, including Danny Sullivan, Arie Luyendyk, Al Unser Jr, Bobby Rahal, Jimmy Vasser, Max Papis and Scott Dixon.
For information on the series, its 16-race schedule and the 100th Running of the Indy 500, visit www.indycar.com. For more information on MillerCoors, visit MillerCoors.com.
Image: INDYCAR
