Bankers Financial Corporation Joins Ed Carpenter Racing for 1 race

During the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Bankers Financial Corporation will have a presence on both Ed Carpenter Racing cars.

Bankers Financial Corporation (BFC), the St. Petersburg-based insurance, surety and business solutions company, has announced a continuation of its associate sponsorship of Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) for a third straight year. During the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Bankers will have a presence on both ECR cars, the No. 20 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet of Spencer Pigot and the No. 21 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka Chevrolet, driven by JR Hildebrand. The event will take place March 10-12, 2017 in the downtown streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. and marks the beginning of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season.

“This is a great opportunity for Bankers to continue to support a local event and build awareness for Bankers in our hometown," Bankers Chief Marketing Officer Bill Lafontaine said. “Partnering with ECR owner Ed Carpenter and his drivers Spencer Pigot and JR Hildebrand is an ideal way for Bankers to continue to build our brand in the St. Petersburg area."

Team owner Ed Carpenter is the only owner/driver in the Verizon IndyCar Series. “Having Bankers join us again as a sponsor for the Firestone Grand Prix is very exciting as we kick off the 2017 season and continue our winning momentum from last season. I have always run our race team with family in mind, so it is a great fit to have family-owned Bankers returning as a valuable team member for the St. Petersburg race," stated the two-time Indianapolis 500 pole position winner.

Practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg begins on March 10, 2017 with the race beginning at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12, 2017.