Chip Ganassi Racing has announced today that they have formed a new sponsorship arrangement with Swedish Chocolate makers, Huski Chocolate. The brand, who also sponsor the McLaren F1 Team, will serve as the primary sponsors of Marcus Ericsson‘s #8 Ganassi Honda in the upcoming 2020 NTT IndyCar Series and will also be featured on the cars of his team-mates, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist.
After making his NTT IndyCar Series debut last season with Arrow Schmidt Peterson and scoring a best race finish of second place at Detroit on his way to seventeenth in the championship standings at the end of the season, it was announced back in October that the Swedish driver would be moving to Chip Ganassi Racing; who would expand to a three-car team.
As is always the case in motorsport, for a team to expand, they need backing. This is no different for Chip Ganassi Racing, one of the major, championship-contending teams in IndyCar racing. Today’s announcement now means that all three of Chip Ganassi’s cars for 2020 have primary sponsorship, with Huski Chocolate backing the #8 car whilst PNC Bank and NTT DATA continue to back the #9 and #10 cars respectively.
Whilst Huski Chocolate is based in Stockholm, Sweden – the home country of both Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist – the CEO of Huski Chocolate Americas is former IndyCar and NASCAR driver, Stanton Barrett. Today’s announcement is a continuation of Huski Chocolate’s relationship with motorsport, with the company having already sponsored the McLaren F1 Team and Alfa Romeo Racing in Formula 1.
In a statement released by Chip Ganassi Racing today, Barrett stated that he was excited to see Huski Chocolate on the grid for the 2020 IndyCar season opener at St. Petersburg in March:
“This partnership is a great fit for our entire company,” Barrett said. “We have watched Marcus in Formula 1 and last year’s transition into INDYCAR. Marcus has great potential and now he can capitalize on his talents by teaming up with Chip Ganassi Racing in INDYCAR.
“This partnership with my friend Chip and CGR, a 12-time INDYCAR Champion team, is a critical and valuable platform to reach a strong racing fan base in North and South America. As Huski Chocolate continues expanding into important markets for our B2B [business to business] and B2C [business to consumer] products, CGR and Marcus will continue to pave the way for success on and off the track for Huski Chocolate. We can’t wait to get the season started in St. Petersburg with the Huski Chocolate Honda on the grid.”
Chip Ganassi Racing is similarly pleased with today’s announcement, with Doug Duchardt, COO of CGR commenting: “The Huski partnership is great news for CGR and the No. 8 team, and completes our lineup several months in advance of the 2020 season. We’re looking forward to having Huski Chocolate join the team and helping them build their brand in the United States.”
The 2020 NTT IndyCar Series will kick-off with the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg taking place on Sunday, March 15.
