When the green flag drops at the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 race at noon on Sunday, racing fans will actually be able to see Loctite® at work on the track. Henkel Corporation has announced that Loctite® brand adhesives — products that have enhanced automotive performance for more than 50 years — will be a major sponsor of the No. 36 car entered by Conquest Racing in the May 29 event.
Featuring the Loctite® logo on its engine cover, the No. 36 car will be driven by the first British female ever to run the 500-mile race. At 27 years old, UK-born Pippa Mann is making her IZOD IndyCar Series debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Conquest Racing’s open-wheel No. 36 race car is powered by a Honda engine on a Dallara chassis made of carbon fiber and composites. It weighs approximately 1,530 pounds and reaches top speeds of over 225 mph.
“Loctite®-brand products have a long heritage in auto racing, having been used by top-performing race teams for over 50 years,” states Mike Shannahan, Henkel’s director of Loctite® industrial marketing in North America. “Our products will be used by many of the race teams that day, so it’s very fitting to have Loctite® positioned on the engine cover of the No. 36 car during this historic 100th Anniversary race.”
As part of their agreement, Henkel will also be the major associate sponsor for two additional IZOD IndyCar Series events on the No. 34 car driven by Sebastian Saavedra. The 20-year-old Colombian made his Indianapolis 500 debut last year and is an IndyCar rookie running the full season with Conquest Racing.
About Conquest Racing
Founded in 1996, Conquest Racing competes in the IndyCar Series and the Atlantic Championship. “We are honored to have Henkel and its Loctite® brand on board with us for the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500, as well as additional races later this season,” explains team owner and former Champ Car World Series competitor Eric Bachelart.
Dating back to 1911, the Indy 500 will be celebrating its centennial anniversary when the 33-car field competes this coming Sunday, May 29. The race will be broadcast on ABC at 11 a.m. E.T.
About Henkel
Henkel operates worldwide with leading brands and technologies in three business areas: Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries, and Adhesive Technologies. Founded in 1876, Henkel holds globally leading market positions both in the consumer and industrial businesses with well-known brands such as Persil, Schwarzkopf and Loctite. Henkel employs about 48,000 people and reported sales of $20.07 billion and adjusted operating profit of $2.27 billion in fiscal 2010. Henkel’s preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX and the company ranks among the Fortune Global 5.
For more information, visit www.henkel-northamerica.com.
