PLANO, Texas – NTT Data Services, a global digital business and IT services company, has announced a multi-year extension of its sponsorship of Chip Ganassi Racing’s NTT IndyCar Series program.
NTT Data returns as the primary sponsor on the No. 10 NTT Data Honda at multiple events for the 17-race season in 2021. Alex Palou, a 23-year-old Spaniard who replaces Felix Rosenqvist in this entry, will run the NTT Data livery for the season opener at St. Petersburg, Fla. (March 7), Texas Motor Speedway (race one on May 1), the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 (May 30), and the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. (Sept. 19), along with several other races over the course of the season.
NTT Data also returns as the season-long associate sponsor on the No. 9 car of six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon. NTT Data has been an associate sponsor on Dixon’s car since 2017.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s new No. 48 entry signals the arrival of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson to the team and the return of the 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner and ’04 series champ Tony Kanaan to the organization. NTT Data will be the primary sponsor for Johnson when he competes in the Honda Indy Toronto street circuit race on July 11.
Kanaan will have NTT Data as a primary for the Aug. 21 race at World Wide Technology Raceway and as an associate sponsor for the other three oval events, including the Indianapolis 500.
In addition to the association on three of the organization’s four entries, NTT Data returns as the official IT services partner to Chip Ganassi Racing’s IndyCar program.
“This has been a tremendous partnership from a sponsorship perspective and from a technological standpoint over the years,” NTT Data Services Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David Croxville said. “Building and cultivating relationships with our clients is the foundation of our business. The partnership with a championship-winning organization that features unparalleled access to an incredibly talented group of drivers allows us to create unforgettable experiences with and for our clients and partners.”
The renewal extends a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing that began in 2013 when NTT DATA sponsored the No. 8 entry of Ryan Briscoe in the Indianapolis 500. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, NTT DATA continued to expand that partnership with an IndyCar organization that has amassed 13 series championships and 113 victories, including four prestigious Indy 500 crowns, in its 30-year history.
“NTT Data has been and will continue to be a big part of who our company is, and what we represent as an organization,” team owner Chip Ganassi said. “Their involvement with our racing programs, from both a technology and business standpoint, has enabled us to deliver results on the track with multiple championships and race wins over the past eight years. Key relationships like this give us the ability to continue to push forward and achieve our goals.”