A.J. Foyt Racing knows a thing or two about keeping commercial partners happy. Until just last year, the NTT IndyCar Series team had a great relationship with ABC Supply, the contractor’s supply chain that was a patriotic partner to the Foyt team for 15 years. ABC departed Foyt’s squad as a full-time sponsor in 2020, but did return for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500.
The allure of working with Foyt’s team lies within the namesake, who was the first racer to earn victory in four Indianapolis 500 Mile Races. Foyt has a successful resume in every form of racing he’s attempted, from Indy cars to NASCAR, sports cars and USAC open-wheelers. Although he’s retired from driving, Foyt still is active in the running of his team, which is led by son Larry Foyt.
The new partner, introduced by Larry Foyt, is ROKit, the multi-faceted portfolio of companies involved in the marketing of mobile phones, WiFi deployment, beverages, pioneering 3D content production and distribution of movies and music.
ROKit will be the primary marketing partner for driver Sebastien Bourdais, who helms the iconic No. 14 Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing. Bourdais, a four-time Indy car champion, won the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring last Saturday.
These partnerships don’t happen overnight: it’s the result of discussions that began seven years ago when the race team and ROKit began go explore opportunities to work together, based on the friendship between Larry Foyt and ROKit co-founder Jonathan Kendrick who, coincidentally, started working in Goodyear Tires’ racing division when he was only 17 years old.
“I met JK several yeas ago and we have stayed in touch,” Larry Foyt acknowledged. “He is a true racing enthusiast and it has been great to see him use many forms of motorsport in his growth strategy for ROKit. We had expressed interest in working together when the time was right, and I must say it feels like everything came into alignment perfectly for this opportunity.
I think,” Foyt continued, “this partnership will reward ROKit’s partners and consumers with some exciting programs that take advantage of the great access our team can provide. I’m enthused about our promising testing results and this is another shot of awesome momentum heading into the season.”
Even when he was much younger and working with Goodyear, Kendrick knew about A.J. Foyt and his history in open-wheel competition. “I am hugely excited go have partnered with the legendary A.J. Foyt Racing team for the 2021 INDYCAR series. I’m looking forward to cheering on the fabulous-looking No. 14 Chevrolet as it roars around the circuits this year. All our ROKit companies will be actively involved in this partnership and we wish Larry, Sebastien and all the team at Foyt Racing the very best of luck.”
ROKit appeals to a young audience, a value Foyt found infinitely appealing. Kendrick has partnered at ROKit with one of the most successful marketing men of this era: John-Paul DeJoria. Together they intend to use this Foyt affiliation to raise brand awareness globally and showcase the company’s broad range of services and products.
The No. 14 A.J. Foyt ROKit Chevrolet, with Sebastien Bourdais in the driver’s seat, begins the 17-race NTT IndyCar Series season the weekend of April 16-18 on the bucolic Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham, AL.
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