By Jerry Jordan, Editor
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Continuing on a decade of partnership, Fifth Third Bank has renewed its partnership with Roush Fenway Racing with Chris Buescher to continue driving duties behind the wheel of the No. 17 Ford Mustang.
The partnership began in 2012 when Matt Kenseth was the driver and has continued with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and now Buescher. The ongoing relationship put the bank in front of millions of racing fans and now sees a new era at Roush Fenway Racing, signing a five-year extension just as Brad Keselowski comes on board as one of the team owners.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with Roush Fenway Racing and are pleased to extend our relationship with this iconic team for up to another five years,” said Lee Fite, president of Fifth Third Bank’s Mid-Atlantic region. “Roush continues to outperform and overdeliver on their commitments to Fifth Third, yielding a best-in-class ROI on our sponsorship.”
Team President Steve Neumark said Fifth Third has become partner with the team on and off the track – not only with their logo on the car but also from a financial aspect.
“The relationship with Fifth Third has grown into one of the strongest partnerships in NASCAR, and we’re privileged to announce this a multi-year renewal that will ensure Fifth Third will remain as part of the Roush Fenway family, and a key supporter of our sport, for years to come,” Neumark said.
According to the press release, Roush has served as the anchor for Fifth Third Bank’s motorsports practice, which today also includes premier teams in IndyCar with Rahal Letterman Lanigan and in NHRA with Kalitta Motorsports. Through these partnerships, Fifth Third has become the de facto bank for race teams, tracks, suppliers, other racing industry stakeholders and racing fans.
The 2022 season will mark the third for Buescher as a Cup Series at Roush Fenway after the team recalled him following a brief stint when he drove for JTG Daugherty Racing.