NASCAR Mexico Series set to make return with new title sponsor in 2017
The NASCAR Mexico Series has a new title sponsor thanks to a multi-year deal with Old World Industries and its Peak brand.
Following an exhibition race in Mexico City Dec. 3-4, the newly remained NASCAR Peak Mexico Series will resume racing in 2017 after a one-year hiatus.
NASCAR officials said a schedule for the series will be released at a later date. From 2004 to 2015, the series ran 14 or 15 races annually.
NASCAR made the announcement Tuesday night in Mexico City, where Joe Gibbs Racing driver Daniel Suarez was on hand. Suarez, who is tied for the points lead in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, won 10 races over four seasons competing in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series.
“I am extremely proud to be a Mexican driver competing against the best young drivers making a name for themselves in the NASCAR XFINITY Series,” said Suarez, the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national touring series race and the first to lead the points as well.
“I am lucky to have had the support of NASCAR’s developmental programs along the way -- including the NASCAR Mexico Series,” said Suarez. “I am excited to see that other talented Latin American drivers will continue to have similar opportunities for many years to come.”
A privately-held company with only 250 employees, PEAK has a 30-year association with motorsports. PEAK has a relationship with Clint Bowyer in the Sprint Cup Series and is the title sponsor of NASCAR's eSports partner, iRacing.com. PEAK also is the primary sponsor for John Force in NHRA and has associate sponsorships with several other drivers as well as riders from the Professional Bullriding circuit.
For PEAK, each partnership is embraced by the small company and used as a platform for its brand and its employees. NASCAR Mexico provided PEAK a new growth area for the company, said Bryan Emrich, chief marketing officer for Old World Industries.
Emrich said PEAK was intrigued by the potential to leverage its brand both inside Mexico and the U.S., and by the growth of Suarez as a symbol "of the future of where the sport is going with diversity."
"We like partnerships in which we can tie to properties and make investments that make us feel we are as big as we want to be, that gives us tremendous value," said Emrich.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
