Can-Am to sponsor Duel at Daytona race

Kate SwansonSeptember 22, 2015

BRP, the manufacturer of world-renowned motorized recreational vehicles and engines, will serve as the title sponsor for the 150-mile qualifying races for the DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), part of Speedweeks 2016. The races will be known as the Can-Am Duel At Daytona.

The Can-Am Duel At Daytona, scheduled for Thursday, February 18, are a pair of 150-mile qualifying races that finalize the starting line-up for the 58th annual DAYTONA 500, the prestigious NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-opening event on Sunday, February 21. The Can-Am Duel At Daytona will feature every DAYTONA 500 entrant battling for a coveted starting spot in “The Great American Race”.

(From the left) Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III; Jeffrey Earnhardt, NASCAR No. 32 Sprint Cup Series racing team driver; and Anne Belec, senior vice president, Global Brand and Strategy.

“We’re excited about developing this new partnership with BRP, the world leader in recreational vehicles,” Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III said. “With two thrilling and unpredictable 150-mile qualifying races, the Can-Am Duel At Daytona will provide a great platform for BRP to promote its Can-Am products at the ‘World Center of Racing’.”

“BRP and its Can-Am products are synonymous with innovation and performance in the powersports industry,” said Anne Bélec, senior vice-president, Global Brand and Strategy. “We feel that there’s a natural fit with NASCAR racers and their fans. Thanks to our association with Kappa, Cyclops Gear and the GoFAS race team, we are now a sponsor in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the title sponsor of the Can-Am Duel, the ultimate test before the Daytona 500.”

With Can-Am ATVs, side-by-side vehicles and Spyder roadsters, BRP is carrying on a long tradition of conquests. More than 30 years ago, the world discovered the Can-Am brand through revolutionary motocross bikes and its legend and winning spirit live on – with passion and exhilaration.

The events during Speedweeks 2016 will be the first to be held at Daytona International Speedway following the completion of the $400 million DAYTONA Rising frontstretch redevelopment project. Race fans will experience new amenities such as wider and more comfortable seats, spacious concourses, escalators and elevators, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concessions and merchandise stands.

Tickets for the Can-Am Duel At Daytona as well as other Speedweeks 2016 events are available at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800/PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube for the latest news throughout the season. Fans also can follow the latest on DAYTONA Rising, the $400 million frontstretch renovation at the “World Center of Racing” by using #DAYTONARising on Twitter or visiting www.daytonarising.com.