KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Purdue University will be the primary sponsor of Ryan Preece’s No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for this weekend’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The iconic Boilermaker gold and black will adorn Preece’s No. 41 Ford Mustang, with Purdue University in Indianapolis serving as the primary sponsor of Preece for the 82-lap race around the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course.
The partnership is a natural extension of Purdue’s long-standing role with Indianapolis Motor Speedway – a more than century-long relationship that began in 1919 with the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band’s first performance at the Indianapolis 500.
“Purdue University’s persistent pursuit of innovation aligns well with the objectives of Stewart-Haas Racing, making this weekend’s partnership an ideal opportunity to showcase Purdue University in Indianapolis and the world-class engineering, computer science and technology degrees we will offer there from the start,” said R. Ethan Braden, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Purdue University and Purdue Global. “We look forward to serving as the primary sponsor and cheering on Ryan Preece as he goes full throttle this weekend at Indy.
“The iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway is just a few miles away from the Purdue University in Indianapolis campus and multiple downtown locations, including our space at High Alpha in the burgeoning Bottleworks District, where weʼll bring the full force of Purdue to our stateʼs capital city.”
Preece is in his first season with SHR after competing for JTG Daugherty Racing for three seasons between 2019-’21.
“It’s an honor to represent Purdue University in Indianapolis this weekend at the Brickyard,” said Preece, who first made a name for himself on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, winning the championship in 2013. “Indy is filled with history and prestige, and competing there is truly special. To have the gold-and-black colors of the Boilermakers on my car just adds to that prestige, as I’ve come to understand Purdue’s own history at Indianapolis.
“I’m impressed by the program Purdue University has for students looking to make a career in motorsports. Creative, hard-working people can thrive in racing. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the better you are. To be able to showcase Purdue’s comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis makes me proud.”