Daytona Int’l Speedway yesterday named the Univ. of Northwestern Ohio its first-ever Official Educational Partner, providing the school with an on-site marketing presence that includes event signage, display space, tickets and hospitality. Financial terms of the multiyear agreement were not disclosed. UNOH sponsors Kentucky Speedway's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and since '13 had been a title sponsor of DIS' Battle at the Beach, an invitational showcase for NASCAR's regional touring and weekly series. The Battle at the Beach was canceled for '15 as the removal of the backstretch grandstands as part of the Daytona Rising redevelopment project has discontinued the racing event. That left both parties this past summer searching for a way to maintain their relationship, and DIS’ 27th partnership was formed just a month later. UNOH did not use an agency in negotiating the deal with DIS President Joie Chitwood III, who said, “It’s nice when you can find those relationships and you keep them, even when you change the focus from year to year. We've been able to maintain the level of commitment from them and just change the opportunities around activation and assets." Having launched the country's first high-performance degree program in ’92, as well as the largest U.S. facility dedicated to learning the science of high-performance vehicles, UNOH allows students to receive first-hand motorsports mechanical training. Chitwood: "They're truly invested in the world of motorsports, from education and producing young men and women ready for careers in motorsports. It’s nice that they want to continue to use the brand of Daytona to help them with their goals."
