NASCAR’s JD Motorsports Inks Two New Partners

JD Motorsports have announced today two new partners for upcoming Nationwide Series races.

K1 Speed, which operates the nation’s leading go-kart racing facilities, has joined JD Motorsports as a key sponsor for Nationwide Series races at Auto Club Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.

K1 Speed colors will debut on the team cars, driven by Landon Cassill and Jeffrey Earnhardt, in Saturday’s TreatMyClot.com 300 at Auto Club Speedway in the fifth race of the Nationwide season. K1 also will be a team partner for the Nationwide race at Texas April 4.

Saturday’s race will mark K1’s first association with a national-series NASCAR team.

“We’re proud to have K1 come on board with us this week and at Texas,” said Johnny Davis, owner of JD Motorsports with Gary Keller. “A lot of NASCAR fans really enjoy riding and racing go-karts, so it’s a natural fit for them and for us. We’re looking forward to going racing with the K1 folks.”

JD Motorsports also sealed Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, one of the country’s most popular pizza restaurants, as a sponsor for Gary Keller and driver Jeffrey Earnhardt for Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

Shakey’s will be prominently displayed on the team’s No. 4 Chevrolet for the TreatMyClot.com 300, the fifth race of the Nationwide season.

Shakey’s, based in Alhambra near Los Angeles, has 60 locations, most in southern California. Shakey’s also has restaurants in Washington, Hawaii and Alabama.

The restaurant, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, is sponsoring a NASCAR team for the first time.

“Shakey’s is thrilled to sponsor Jeffrey Earnhardt’s NASCAR team this weekend,” said Nick Mayer, the president and CEO of Shakey’s USA. “We could not envision a more perfect partnership than pizza and racing. Like NASCAR, Shakey’s has been providing great family fun for over 60 years.” 

Earnhardt, grandson of the late NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Sr., is in his first full season racing in the Nationwide Series.

“It’s great to have the folks from Shakey’s Pizza riding along with us this weekend,” Earnhardt said. “Pizza and beer are two of NASCAR fans’ favorite things, so I know there’ll be a rush on their restaurants around the track this weekend. We hope we can make that pizza the fastest it’s ever been.”

Practice is scheduled at Auto Club Speedway Friday, with qualifying and the race set for Saturday.