Lilly Diabetes Becomes 'Official Diabetes Health Partner of NASCAR®'

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- NASCAR^® and Lilly Diabetes announced today that Lilly is expanding its involvement in NASCAR with a multi-year official partnership with the sanctioning body. The new collaboration designates Lilly Diabetes as the "Official Diabetes Health Partner of NASCAR."

The partnership with Lilly Diabetes builds upon its primary sponsorship of the No. 16 Ford Mustang driven by Roush Fenway Racing's Ryan Reed, who last weekend won his second career NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Additionally, as a part of this new partnership, Lilly Diabetes will work with NASCAR on multiple health and wellness initiatives, including launching an editorial series on NASCAR.com.

"As a leader in diabetes care for more than 90 years, we understand the daily challenges that millions of Americans face managing this disease," said Mike Mason, vice president, U.S., Lilly Diabetes. "Our partnership with NASCAR, along with our continued relationship with Ryan, emphasizes the critical role of ongoing discussions with your doctor about how to best manage the disease."

As the Official Diabetes Health Partner of NASCAR, Lilly Diabetes – part of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) – will expand its presence in the sport by introducing initiatives that educate fans about the disease. Lilly encourages fans to stay determined and take action to better manage their diabetes by talking to their doctor and making lifestyle changes like exercising and eating healthy. Approximately 30 million Americans have diabetes, and if current trends continue, 1 in 3 U.S. adults will develop diabetes by 2050¹, making this partnership particularly important.

"The goal of Lilly Diabetes – driving awareness and education – is critical to NASCAR as many of our fans are affected by the disease," said Lou Garate, NASCAR vice president of partnership marketing. "The rate of Americans developing diabetes continues to rise, and we hope this partnership can help make a positive change in people's lives."

Lilly Diabetes has played a significant role in the NASCAR community since 2013, when it first sponsored Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed and his No. 16 Lilly Diabetes Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Ryan has type 1 diabetes and, through his work with Lilly, travels the NASCAR circuit raising awareness about the disease and encouraging fans to take action to better manage their diabetes.

"Our program with Lilly Diabetes is one that touches my life in a significant way, being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 17," said Reed. "I have seen the positive effect our partnership with Lilly Diabetes has had on those impacted by this disease, and I can't wait to see what NASCAR and Lilly can accomplish together."

Everyone's journey with diabetes is different, requiring ongoing, rigorous management that can often be a burden for people with the disease. Through the sponsorship of Reed, and now the partnership with NASCAR, Lilly Diabetes wants to help fans see how small changes can add up to big wins in diabetes management, both on and off the track. Visit www.LillyDiabetes.com/drive today to learn more about Lilly Diabetes and find helpful resources.

The NASCAR XFINITY Series season will continue with the Rinnai 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 4 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat ('NASCAR').

About Lilly Diabetes
Lilly has been a global leader in diabetes care since 1923, when we introduced the world's first commercial insulin. Today we are building upon this heritage by working to meet the diverse needs of people with diabetes and those who care for them. Through research and collaboration, a wide range of therapies and a continued determination to provide real solutions—from medicines to support programs and more—we strive to make life better for all those affected by diabetes around the world. For more information, visit www.lillydiabetes.com or follow us on Twitter: @LillyDiabetes.

About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We were founded more than a century ago by a man committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs, and today we remain true to that mission in all our work. Across the globe, Lilly employees work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. To learn more about Lilly, please visit us at www.lilly.com and www.lilly.com/newsroom/social-channels.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series competition. Moving into its 30th season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport's first team-focused TV show and producing multiple award-winning Social Media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by Jack Roush, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox and English Premier League's Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.

P-LLY

NASCAR^® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.
Roush Fenway Racing™ is a trademark of Roush Fenway Racing, LLC.
PP-LD-US-1080 03/2017 ©LillyUSA, LLC 2017. All rights reserved.

1. American Diabetes Association. Fast Facts. http://professional.diabetes.org/sites/professional.diabetes.org/files/media/fast_facts_12-2015a.pdf. Updated December 2015. Accessed on February 13, 2017.

SOURCE Eli Lilly and Company

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