news release
GODADDY & DANICA ANNOUNCE DAYTONA 500 RACE TEAM
Premium Motorsports Ready to Roar for Danica Patrick’s Final NASCAR Race
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Jan. 22, 2018) – GoDaddy Inc. (NYSE: GDDY), the world’s largest cloud platform dedicated to small, independent ventures, and Danica Patrick are teaming with Premium Motorsports for next month’s Daytona 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. The one-race deal will put Danica in the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet Camaro, the same car number she competed with in her first foray into stock car racing at Daytona in 2010.
When Danica gets to Daytona, not only will she have a familiar car number, but she’ll also have a familiar face atop the pit box as crew chief Tony Eury Jr. will return to the NASCAR Cup Series garage to take the helm of the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet team. Eury Jr. previously served as her crew chief when she raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series from 2010 to 2012.
“I keep saying, I couldn’t have written a better story about how this would all fall into place – going with the flow is working out beautifully,” said Patrick. “I’ll be back in GoDaddy green, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet with Tony Jr. in my ear again. It all makes my last NASCAR race just that much sweeter.”
Eury agrees. “It wouldn’t be just any opportunity that could coax me back to the pit box, working with Danica and GoDaddy again at Daytona is going to be fun – when you can do what you love and be in your element … well, I can tell you, it doesn’t get any better. Danica and I have shared success before in Daytona, and she has a lot more experience under her belt now, so I look forward to seeing what we can achieve during Speedweeks.”
Premium Motorsports recently purchased the assets of Tommy Baldwin Racing. The NASCAR Cup Series organization will utilize the charter held by the No. 15 entry to field the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet at Daytona. As a result, Danica will be guaranteed a starting spot in the 60th running of the “Great American Race.” The No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet will be powered by ECR Engines, which have earned more than 250 wins, including two Daytona 500 victories. In addition, the team will receive engineering support from Richard Childress Racing.
With less than a month to go before the Daytona 500, the race team, based in Mooresville, North Carolina is working to put the finishing touches on the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet.
“We’ve been working on this behind-the-scenes for a while,” said Premium Motorsports team owner Jay Robinson. “Now that we’ve finalized the deal, we’re 100 percent focused on getting the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet ready for Daytona. Our team finished eighth in Daytona 500 last year and I know everyone here at Premium Motorsports is prepared to give Danica the best opportunity we can to get another great result as she runs her final NASCAR race.”
Just last week, GoDaddy and Danica announced their plan to work together again with primary sponsorships in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Her final two races, being dubbed the “Danica Double,” mark an end to what is considered the most successful career of any woman in racing history – and the beginning of Danica’s next chapter as an entrepreneur and business owner.
In addition to the high-profile race sponsorships, GoDaddy is supporting Danica’s life-after-racing by powering the online presence for her business endeavors related to health, apparel and wine – all of which are enriched with her brand and GoDaddy’s savvy in helping people turn their business dreams into reality.
What’s Next: Expect Danica to unveil the new No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet with Premium Motorsports within the next two weeks.
To get the first look at the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet in early February, follow: @DanicaPatrick and @GoDaddy on Instagram. #DailyDouble
To find out how you can create your own website, or get coaching from our personalized customer service, visit: www.GoDaddy.com
Additonal Quotes:
Danica Patrick: “Positive vibes definitely play into on-track performance, and I’m feeling good energy with the sponsor and team we’ve put together for Daytona. My Cup career started out with Tommy (Baldwin, through partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing) and to end it working with him, GoDaddy and the team at Premium (Motorsports), it’s crazy to see how things really have come full circle. It just feels right to be back in the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet again. It’ll be a great combination to close out this chapter for me.”
Danica Patrick: “I’m convinced that good vibes translate into performance – and I’m definitely feeling the good energy with this sponsor and team. I’m ready to get back in the No. 7 GoDaddy Chevrolet.”
Tommy Baldwin, head of business development for Premium Motorsports: “It’s great to have everything come together with Danica and GoDaddy for the Daytona 500. The team is working hard to get things ready and we’re receiving great assistance from RCR (Richard Childress Racing) with engines, engineering support and the pit crew. Having Tony Eury Jr. come on board for this race is good as well since he’s worked with Danica before. That should help give us a leg up on things going into Daytona.”
Tony Eury Jr., crew chief: on why he would come back for this race: “I’ve started this company (Fury Race Cars) and had a lot of fun with it — just helping kids and drivers that want to race. Danica called and asked if I would come do this race with her. I joked and told her, ‘Well, I got you into this mess, so I might as well help get you out of it.’ I have a lot of respect for her. When she came onto the scene, we had a lot of fun. I learned a lot working with Danica. She helped get me on this path to start helping kids with my company and I’ve had a lot of fun with it. We’re friends and have kept in touch over the years. So, it was an easy choice to come do this last race with her.”
What challenges do you anticipate, if any? “I think it’s going to be pretty interesting. They’ve changed the format of Speedweeks a bit. There are only two practice sessions before qualifying and then no practice between that and the qualifying races, so it’s a bit different than what I’ve experienced before. It may take a little bit to get back in the groove, but we’ve got a lot of support in place, so I think we’ll be fine.”
Do you feel any added pressure since this will be Danica’s final NASCAR race? “No, absolutely not. It’s another Daytona for me. I love Daytona and going down there. Having this be Danica’s last NASCAR race will just make it more special. We’ve had a lot of fast cars down there and sat on the pole before (Feb. 2012). We’ve got three weeks to finish getting the car ready. We have to have realistic expectations heading into Daytona, but Danica’s learned a lot about speedway racing since we worked together, so it’ll be fun to get back down there with her and GoDaddy. When she reached out about doing this deal, I made her promise me she’d take me to Indy when she runs the (Indianapolis) 500 in May. That’s a race I’ve always wanted to go to, so I’m looking forward to experiencing that as well.”
Source: GoDaddy Inc.
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