Fifth Third to sponsor NASCAR’s Matt Kenseth

Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp is jumping into NASCAR.

The bank announced Monday morning a multi-year marketing partnership with Roush Fenway Racing, beginning this season with four races as the primary sponsor of Matt Kenseth’s No. 17 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, according to a news release from the bank. A similar number of races for the following years will be announced at a later date.

Fifth Third will be the primary sponsor of Kenseth’s Ford at four Sprint Cup Series races in 2012 including:

• Sprint All Star Race in Charlotte, NC on May 19

• Quaker State 400 in Sparta, KY on June 30

• Crown Royal’s “Your Hero’s Name Here” race in Indianapolis, IN on July 29

• Pure Michigan 400 in Brooklyn, MI on August 19.

Greg Carmichael, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Fifth Third Bancorp, said in the news release that the bank and Roush Fenway Racing “share many common values, including a focus on teamwork and a desire to challenge the status quo to be the best at what we do. We are looking forward to working with the Roush Fenway Racing organization, and Matt Kenseth, to help drive our business and build the Fifth Third Bank brand.”

Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history having won five championships in NASCAR’s top three divisions and more than 400 races in drag racing, sports car and stock car racing.