GE To Sponsor Scott Dixon-Driven No. 9 Honda For IndyCar Opener (Update)

UPDATE

Dixon's #9 will carry GE colors for St. Pete

Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) announced today that four-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and Indianapolis 500 Winner Scott Dixon will be sporting the colors of GE LED Lighting in Round 1 of the Verizon IndyCar Series on March 12 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (12pm ET, ABC), with additional associate-level support coming from NTT DATA.

NOTES OF INTEREST:

• GE LED: The lighting industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation spurred by the adoption of LEDs and demand for new, data-driven smart LED solutions. As America’s most trusted lighting brand, GE is driving this shift with affordable, high-quality LEDs for every room of the home. Perfected to emulate the light consumers love, GE LEDS not only carry the energy savings and long life of LEDs but the quality and reliability that is synonymous with the GE brand. See more at: GE LED

• GE in INDYCAR: GE has backed CGR Verizon IndyCar Series entries each of the past five seasons with drivers Dario Franchitti (Mid-Ohio, 2012-2013), Tony Kanaan (Barber-2014, 2016-Phoenix) and Sage Karam (St. Petersburg-2015).

• NTT DATA: NTT DATA will continue to serve as the primary partner on former Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and Indianapolis 500 Winner Tony Kanaan’s No. 10 Honda in 2017. Entering their fourth year of partnership with CGR, NTT DATA is a leading IT services provider and global innovation partner with 75,000 professionals based in more than 40 countries.

• Dixon's suit

  Scott Dixon: The four-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion (2003, 2008, 2013, 2015) and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner returns to CGR in 2017 for his 16^th season – the longest tenure for a driver in team history (1990-Present). Dixon holds the distinction of being the winningest active Indy car driver with 40 victories and is currently ranked fourth on the all-time Indy car win list. In addition, he ranks third on the all-time list for most consecutive starts with 207 straight dating back to the 2004 race in Michigan. The New Zealander has 270 Indy car starts, producing 40 wins, 27 poles, 131 top-five and 188 top-10 finishes (2001-Present). In Dixon’s 12 starts in St. Petersburg (2005-2016), he has recorded three podiums, led 94 laps and has over 95% laps completed.

CGR QUOTEBOARD:

• Daraius Patell, North America Consumer Lighting GM: "With more than a century of engineering game-changing lighting products, we can appreciate the science and physics that go into each Indy car race. That's why we're proud to represent Scott and Chip Ganassi Racing, and our team at GE Lighting will be cheering for a win in the season opener in St. Petersburg."

• Scott Dixon, Driver, No. 9 GE LED Lighting Honda: “I can’t wait to get back to St. Petersburg and get this season going. We’ve had some big changes over the offseason including a manufacturer move to Honda, and I know our team is up for the challenge. GE has a long history with Ganassi over the years, and they are a partner that truly incorporates their technology into our race teams – you see it every time you walk into the race shops the crews work in. Having them on board for the No. 9 car with NTT DATA should make for a great combination to start off the year."

• Steve Lauletta, President, Chip Ganassi Racing: “I want to first thank GE for being such a great partner for the team over the years. We’re proud to have enjoyed a long relationship with them– and in sports those are very hard to come by. We’ve partnered together in the past with paint scheme races in St. Petersburg, but this will be the first time Scott will carry the livery for us on the 9 car."

Dixon ran without sponsorship at the recent Phoenix test

03/06/17 Longtime Chip Ganassi Racing partner GE will pick up primary sponsorship of Scott Dixon's No. 9 Honda for this weekend's season-opening Verizon IndyCar Series race on the streets of St. Petersburg.

GE has sponsored entries across CGR's IndyCar operation over the last five years, but this is its first time sponsoring the No. 9, which had long been fully sponsored by Target before that contract expired after last season.

CGR, which switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Honda over the offseason, is continuing to try to close a deal with an anchor partner to replace most or all of Target's prior inventory. Adam Stern/SBD