Xtreme Concepts Inc., a worldwide leader in turnkey security solutions, has expanded its partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) to sponsor Jeffrey Earnhardt, Kyle Busch and Brandon Jones across 24 NASCAR Xfinity Series races in 2019. iK9, a comprehensive canine solutions provider for detection and service dogs administered by Xtreme Concepts, will be the lead brand for each driver.
Last November, Xtreme Concepts announced a nine-race sponsorship of Earnhardt in JGR’s No. 18 Toyota Supra. His first Xfinity Series race will be the season-opener Feb. 16 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The fourth-generation Earnhardt will return to the No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra at the following races:
● Feb. 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
● April 27 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
● May 25 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
● June 1 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway
● Aug. 10 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio
● Aug. 24 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
● Nov. 9 at ISM Raceway near Phoenix
● Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Busch, the winningest driver in Xfinity Series history with 92 victories, takes over the No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra in five races:
● March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
● March 9 at ISM Raceway
● March 16 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California
● March 30 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
● Aug. 3 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Jones, who is coming off a career year in the 2018 Xfinity Series with 17 top-10 finishes and a playoff berth, will carry the colors of iK9 on the No. 19 Toyota Supra in 10 races:
● April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway
● May 4 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway
● June 8 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn
● June 16 at Iowa Speedway in Newton
● July 20 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon
● Aug. 3 at Watkins Glen International
● Aug. 24 at Road America
● Aug. 31 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
● Sept. 7 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
● Nov. 2 at Texas Motor Speedway
“We are firm believers in the power of motorsports as a marketing platform, and it’s why we’ve expanded our partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing to promote the iK9 brand for the majority of the Xfinity Series schedule,” said Landon Ash, founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based Xtreme Concepts. “We’re investing in young talent in Jeffrey Earnhardt and Brandon Jones, and also proven talent in Kyle Busch. These three personalities can deliver for iK9 on the racetrack and interact with our customers off the track. They’re specialized athletes who align very well with iK9, as we provide the skills and support necessary for our clients to care for their highly specialized dogs.”
Earnhardt has made a total of 151 starts across the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series, but none have been with an organization with the depth and resources of JGR, the powerhouse NASCAR team with more than 150 Xfinity Series wins. Earnhardt is taking a path most recently traveled by Ryan Preece, a driver who joined JGR in 2017 and promptly won two Xfinity Series races after finally getting into equipment befitting his talent.
Busch is one of the top drivers in all of NASCAR. The Las Vegas native has 194 career victories across the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander Outdoors Truck Series. He is the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series champion and the 2009 Xfinity Series champion.
Jones is part of NASCAR’s youth movement. He will turn 22 on Feb. 18. The 2019 season marks his 10th year of racing and his fourth in the Xfinity Series.
JGR PR
