The nation's largest independent tire dealer has inked a new deal with Team Penske for 2018 and will become a primary sponsor of the No. 2 car in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS).
Discount Tire, the primary trade name of Bruce Halle's Reinalt-Thomas Corp., will sponsor the No. 2 Ford Fusion driven by 2012 champion Brad Keselowski.
As part of the new multi-year agreement, Discount Tire will provide primary partnership bookends to the 2018 MENCS season, beginning with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February and concluding with Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.
Discount Tire will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 2 Ford for 10 races while continuing to serve as a prominent associate sponsor for the remainder of the schedule.
Discount Tire also will continue as a primary sponsor of the No. 22 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) for multiple races in 2018 and beyond.
"Team Penske has enjoyed tremendous success with Discount Tire over the past eight seasons in the NASCAR XFINITY Series," says Roger Penske. "We won our first NASCAR championship together with the 2010 XFINITY Series title and the company will always have a special place in our history. We are excited for a new challenge with Discount Tire as we look to build on that success with Brad and the No. 2 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Cup Series."
The partnership between Discount Tire and Team Penske began in 2010. The No. 22 NXS team won six races and established a series record with 26 top-five finishes on its way to the championship won by Keselowski. The relationship continued to produce titles as the No. 22 Discount Tire team earned three-consecutive NXS Owners' championships from 2013-2015.
In total during their partnership, five Team Penske drivers have won 33 NXS races in a Discount Tire-sponsored entry, with Keselowski leading the way, posting 23 victories. The No. 22 team is also currently leading the NXS Owners' Point Standings with three races remaining in the season.
"Our partnership with Team Penske has been incredibly successful during an exciting time for our company," says Halle, chairman of Discount Tire. "Roger and his team have been wonderful to work with, and of course, all of the wins and championships are fantastic. As we continue to expand Discount Tire across the country, we look forward to celebrating more successes with Brad and all of Team Penske as together we pursue the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship."
Since 2010, Discount Tire has expanded into 13 new states and added 175 neighborhood retail tire stores. The latest expansions feature moves into the Pennsylvania and Alabama markets. Discount Tire holds the top spot on the Modern Tire Dealer 100.
Team Penske drivers regularly visit Discount Tire stores to interact with customers and staff, and participate in tire safety campaigns promoted by Discount Tire.
"Discount Tire has been an important part of my racing life for a long time now," says Keselowski. "I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish together and of the relationships I have built over the years. It will be like coming full circle next year, as many of the current guys on the No. 2 Cup team were also with me during our 2010 XFINITY Championship run. It's great to see this partnership continuing into the Cup Series while still maintaining an important place in the XFINITY Series."
The 2018 NASCAR Cup Series regular season begins with the 60th anniversary running of the Daytona 500, on Feb. 18.
For more information about Discount Tire, visit www.discounttire.com.
For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.
