Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
March 4, 2019
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (March 4, 2019) - Team Penske and Hitachi Group today announced a continuation of their partnership for the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season.
Team Penske will enter its 53rd year of racing competition in 2019, and Hitachi is proud to carry on its dynamic relationship with Team Penske for the eighth-consecutive season.
Team Penske and Hitachi have shared success both on and off the track since becoming partners in 2012. After a productive five-year relationship with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, Hitachi was paired with 2017 IndyCar Series Champion Josef Newgarden beginning with the 2018 season. This year, the familiar Hitachi branding will adorn Newgarden's No. 2 Dallara/Chevrolet for eight of the 17 IndyCar Series races.
Newgarden tied for the series lead in wins (three) and poles (four) with Hitachi in 2018, elevating his career stats to include 10 wins, six poles and the series championship just two years ago. "I can't wait for the 2019 season to start," said Newgarden. "We learned a lot at the Circuit of the Americas test in February and we'll apply that to the No. 2 Hitachi Chevrolet. I'm confident in the data we collected as a team and I'm sure we'll start the year strong." He added, "Hitachi is a great partner for the whole team. I'm excited they're back with us this season and I'm ready to represent them on track at St. Pete and all season long."
Hitachi will also continue as an associate sponsor for Team Penske's other IndyCar Series entries – the Dallara/Chevrolets driven by 2016 IndyCar Champion Simon Pagenaud, and 2014 Champion and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power.
"Hitachi has been a terrific partner with Team Penske and we appreciate how the company has grown with our program and continued to take us in new directions," said Penske Corporation Founder and Chairman Roger Penske. "We are all excited for the start of the 2019 INDYCAR season and we are in position to have a great 2019 with Josef racing the No. 2 Hitachi Chevy, beginning with the opening race on the Streets of St. Petersburg."
The activation strategy around the Hitachi / Team Penske partnership includes event marketing and execution at key events and industry shows across the globe, in addition to unique at-track experiences and creative social media integration with Hitachi and its partners. "The sponsorship with Team Penske continues to provide the Hitachi Group with a tremendous opportunity to leverage the success of a great IndyCar racing team, as well as to co-create with a global leader in transportation and logistics - Penske Corporation," said Hitachi, Ltd. President & CEO Toshiaki Higashihara. "Since 2012, Hitachi has been able to leverage digital and IoT technologies to help Penske build a successful racing team and also optimize other aspects of their business. Partnering with Penske puts Hitachi in a strong position to continue to build our global brand around Hitachi's Social Innovation Business."
"I've been engaged in the partnership with Penske as a reprentative within Hitachi since 2012. The last 8 years of IndyCar sponsorship with Team Penske has formed a win-win relationship for Hitachi, both on and off the race track, and we truly value the partnership that Hitachi and Team Penske have built," said Rob Sharpe, SVP of Sales & Marketing at Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc. "Racing is a natural fit for our Automotive Systems business, and we look forward to expanding the awareness of the Hitachi brand through motorsports in the 2019 IndyCar Series."
The 2019 IndyCar Series season begins Sunday, March 10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. The race will be broadcast on NBCSN beginning at 12:30 PM EST.
2019 No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet, (right)JOSEF NEWGARDEN 2017 IndyCar Series Champion](190305a.jpg)
| Date | Place | Race Course |
|---|---|---|
| March 10 (Sun.) | Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg | Streets of St. Petersburg |
| April 14 (Sun.) | Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach | Streets of Long Beach |
| June 1 (Sat.) | Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Race 1 | The Raceway at Belle Isle Park |
| June 2 (Sun.) | Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Race 2 | The Raceway at Belle Isle Park |
| July 14 (Sun.) | Honda Indy Toronto | Streets of Toronto |
| July 20 (Sat.) | Iowa 300 | Iowa Speedway |
| August 18 (Sun.) | ABC Supply 500 | Pocono Raceway |
| September 1 (Sun.) | Grand Prix of Portland | Portland International Raceway |
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges, combining its operational technology, information technology, and products/systems. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2017 (ended March 31, 2018) totaled 9,368.6 billion yen ($88.4 billion). The Hitachi Group is an innovation partner for the IoT era, and it has approximately 307,000 employees worldwide. Through collaborative creation with customers, Hitachi is deploying Social Innovation Business using digital technologies in a broad range of sectors, including Power/Energy, Industry/Distribution/Water, Urban Development, and Finance/Social Infrastructure/Healthcare. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.
Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including engine powertrain systems, electric powertrain systems and integrated vehicle control systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/.
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced more than 500 major race wins, over 570 pole positions and 34 Championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 53-year history, the team has also earned 17 Indianapolis 500 victories, two Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win and overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. For 2019, Team Penske will compete in the NTT IndyCar Series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The team also races in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, in a partnership with Dick Johnson Racing, as DJR Team Penske. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.
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