Rapper 50 Cent will enter NASCAR in a new partnership between his SMS Audio line and Sprint Cup Series team Swan Racing.
According to NASCAR.com, the artist born Curtis Jackson’s headphones and audio line will adorn the Brandon Davis-owned organization’s cars and driver suits in an associate sponsor role.
“Swan Racing and its up-and-coming drivers are the perfect match for SMS Audio,” the rapper said in a statement. “They are as passionate for the sport of racing as we are for our audio products, and we’re confident that the music-loving NASCAR fan base is going to enjoy our headphones.”
The sponsorship deal includes a clause calling for the rapper to make appearances at NASCAR races in 2014, something he’s done in the past — particularly at the Daytona 500 last year, when he made an appearance during the pre-race festivities.
“He’s a car guy,” Davis told NASCAR.com. “He’s into cars, into muscle cars, into fast cars, high-end cars, exotic cars. And one thing I’ve learned with people in different areas is, once they experience a race, if they’re already into cars and speed, you go to a NASCAR race and you’re hooked. I’m sure that had something to do with it.”
Swan Racing began as Inception Motorsports in 2011. It will field two cars for the first time in 2014, with rookies Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman driving the Nos. 26 and 30, respectively.