Next month, the roar of engines at Homestead-Miami Speedway will carry a message like never before. As purple, pink, and blue cars fly around the track at 160 mph, one team isn’t just racing for a trophy—they’re making a statement.
Hendrick Motorsports and Alex Bowman are taking competition beyond the checkered flag, introducing NASCAR’s passionate fanbase to an entirely different kind of game.
With Ally Financial backing the No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports is trying to bridge the gap between NASCAR and women’s basketball. And, you must see how their latest collaboration is turning heads in both industries, shining a spotlight on Unrivaled—a new 3×3 women’s basketball league founded by WNBA superstars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
“Women’s Sports = Good Business.” “A Movement Not A Moment.” The March 23 Homestead event will showcase these uncharacteristic statements that usually do not appear in NASCAR’s typical fast-paced atmosphere. You must see, the car looks amazing, it has incorporated visual elements to highlight both Unrivaled and the ongoing support for women’s sports.! And, as the league founders approached the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet sitting on the Homestead-Miami Speedway pit road.
“My initial thoughts about coming here and being on the speedway and seeing the decked-out Ally car and getting into the pace car for a ride, I’m so excited,” the WNBA All-Star and two-time league MVP Stewart said.
Additionally, fellow Unrivaled League players — Dijonai Carrington and Marina Mabrey also shared their excitement and appreciated NASCAR drivers’ courage. “It’s a lot more different than I thought, I never realized they didn’t open the door and instead go straight through the window. It’s completely different than what I thought. Those drivers are pretty nimble getting in and out of there,” Carrington said as she smiled.
So, when the No. 48 completes its track circuit at Homestead Miami, it will act as an advertising tool for the 3×3 league championship which took place at its arena 30 miles north of the speedway just one week before the race.
Even though critics question this alignment NASCAR fans prove to be different than expected. The YouGov survey showed that women make up 41% of NASCAR fan base thus allowing Ally to naturally align its women’s sports programs. “We have a good fan base,” notes Alex Bowman. “You see a—holes on Twitter (now X), but other than that, everybody has been super positive on everything we’ve done with Ally.”
And, he sounds all confident in the cross-sports collaboration. “Getting to go to the game and seeing their world a little bit … anyone that operates at a high level in their profession is really cool for me, to see the different perspectives and different lives,” Bowman said. “But typically, people that operate at that level — at least in sports — I feel like we have a lot of similarities. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of cool people over the years.”
NASCAR-WNBA collab. is bridging the gap
Though Stewart has never attended a NASCAR race in person, she brings her own unique connection to racing. “I hope NASCAR fans are going to be curious,” she said. “I hope they’re going to be like, ‘What is this? Why is the car this colour? What’s Unrivaled?’ And then just be able to educate themselves on what we had just finished.”
And, the connection runs deeper than one might expect. She remembers weekend family gatherings at her grandfather’s house during which NASCAR races broadcast on TV created unusual shared interests between motorsports. Following the track video shoot, Stewart plans to attend the Homestead race with potential Unrivaled player guests joining him.
Additionally, Ally’s CMO Andrea Brimmer, also views this sport-corporate partnership as an essential attribute of sports culture. Brimmer said, “Sports creates an equality which allows different people to join forces for exciting shared experiences.”
As the No. 48 prepares to take to the track with its distinctive livery, both Stewart and Bowman have experienced each other’s worlds. Alex Bowman witnessed Unrivaled’s inaugural game in January while reporting it had “super hyped” with a “really cool vibe” and “a lot of energy.” This sports intermingling between communities creates a major win for everyone including the best exposure and accessibility in addition to shaping a bright future for women’s sports.
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