ATLANTA, Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's,
Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of
lease-purchase solutions, and racing legend Michael Waltrip today announced that the
upcoming Daytona 500 will be Waltrip's last NASCAR race.
Waltrip, who will mark his 30th start at the Daytona 500 on
February 26, will be at the wheel of
the Aaron's #15 Thanks Mikey Toyota. Aaron's and the
two-time Daytona 500 winner have been partners for more than 17
years and announced a renewed multi-year partnership last year with
Waltrip as Aaron's spokesperson.
"We can't wait to watch Michael compete in his last race with
the same flair and thrills he's
been known for throughout his amazing career, and it will be a
nostalgic moment to see him and the Aaron's logo flash across the
finish line together," said John
Robinson, Aaron's, Inc. President and Chief Executive
Officer. "Michael has been a great sportsman and partner to
Aaron's."
Waltrip retired from full-time racing after the 2009 NASCAR
season but has continued to compete as a part-time driver. His
relationship with Aaron's represents one of the longest-running
corporate partnerships in the racing industry.
"I can reflect on my career with a lot of emotions and one
company that has been there for me is Aaron's," said Waltrip.
"I started working with Aaron's almost 20 years ago with some
commercials and six Xfinity Series races when I had a team behind
my house. We have been together ever since and it makes my
heart smile thinking about all the great things we did
together."
Next week Aaron's plans to debut a video showing the first of
Waltrip's "Top Five Aaron's & Waltrip Racing Moments" selected
from the past 17 years as partners. The videos will be shared
across Aaron's social media channels leading up to Waltrip's last
race on February 26.
Waltrip has been featured in several Aaron's commercials and
will continue to serve as a spokesperson for the company following
his last race. The Aaron's Michael
Waltrip tribute commercial will debut the week prior to the
Daytona 500 and will commemorate Aaron's 17-year partnership with
Michael Waltrip.
Waltrip said, "The Daytona 500 in a lot of ways defines a
racer's career and I am proud to have been able to win our sport's
most prestigious race twice. I have experienced the highest
of highs and the lowest of lows at the Great American Race.
But when you are a NASCAR driver who has the privilege of racing
here, you love Daytona no matter what happens. In my 30th and
final Daytona 500, I am just going to enjoy every moment and be
happy that Aaron's has given me one more opportunity to hoist the
Harley J. Earle trophy."
"Although Michael is competing in his last race, Aaron's is
extremely fortunate to continue working with Michael and we know
racing fans will enjoy seeing him at future appearances and at
Aaron's stores across the country," said Robinson.
About Aaron's, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading
omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, was founded in
1955, has been publicly traded since 1982, and owns the Aarons,
Progressive Leasing and HELPcard brands. Aaron's engages in the
sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture,
consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its
more than 1,860 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states
and Canada as well as its
e-commerce platform Aarons.com. Progressive Leasing, a virtual
lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through
approximately 19,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med,
Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit
products that are originated through a federally insured
bank. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com,
Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com.
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SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.