The No. 9 UniFirst Chevy Heads to Martinsville Speedway
Rhea-AI Summary
UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) will sponsor the No. 9 Chevrolet driven by Chase Elliott at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 29, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. ET, televised on FS1. The car will feature UniFirst's signature green design and the "U-Mark."
This appearance is the second primary NASCAR Cup Series race of UniFirst's 2026 Hendrick Motorsports sponsorship and continues an 11‑year partnership with Hendrick and a seven‑year primary sponsorship of Elliott's No. 9 team.
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Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
UNF was up 2.1% while key peers were mixed: CBZ -2.95%, AZZ -0.12%, ABM +0.08%, FA +1.9%, TIC -0.13%, pointing to stock-specific dynamics rather than a broad sector move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19 | Shareholder process review | Negative | -0.8% | Article questioning whether multiple companies obtained fair deals for shareholders. |
| Mar 17 | NASCAR sponsorship update | Neutral | -0.1% | Announcement of No. 9 UniFirst Chevy’s 2026 NASCAR Cup Series debut schedule. |
| Mar 12 | Shareholder process review | Negative | -0.7% | Another third-party piece on fair deals for shareholders including UniFirst. |
| Mar 11 | Activist supports sale | Positive | +6.6% | Engine Capital’s statement backing UniFirst’s announced sale to Cintas. |
| Mar 11 | Acquisition announcement | Positive | +6.6% | Cintas agreement to acquire UniFirst in a cash-and-stock transaction. |
Recent trading has been dominated by the announced Cintas acquisition, where deal-related news on Mar 11 coincided with a strong +6.58% move, while smaller governance or shareholder-process headlines saw modest declines.
Over the last few weeks, UniFirst’s trajectory has centered on its pending acquisition by Cintas. The Mar 11 merger announcement and supportive statement from Engine Capital both aligned with a +6.58% price reaction. Subsequent shareholder fairness headlines on Mar 12 and Mar 19 coincided with mild pullbacks. NASCAR sponsorship news on Mar 17 had minimal impact, suggesting branding updates have been secondary to M&A as a driver.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights UniFirst’s continued NASCAR Cup Series presence with the No. 9 Chevy and its long-standing partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, now in its 11th year and seventh year with Chase Elliott. In recent weeks, trading has been driven more by the pending Cintas acquisition than by branding news. Investors may watch for future transaction milestones and additional corporate filings as key catalysts beyond sponsorship updates.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
The No. 9 Chevrolet will be sporting its signature bold green design, sleek racing stripes, and UniFirst's iconic "U-Mark," representing the company's commitment to service excellence.
"Our return to Martinsville Speedway marks another outstanding opportunity to showcase the UniFirst brand alongside Hendrick Motorsports and Chase Elliott," said David Katz, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at UniFirst. "We're dedicated to supporting high-performance teams on and off the track and we can't wait to see the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy get into victory lane."
"I feel like we've come close to getting another win at Martinsville, but we've just come up short for one reason or another," said Elliott. "We've put together some strong runs this season and I have a lot of confidence in our team right now, so I'm hopeful we can be there, battling for the win on Sunday."
The remaining 2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule for the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy is as follows:
- Richmond Raceway on Saturday night, August 15 at 7 p.m. ET, televised on
USA Network - Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 11 at 3 p.m. ET (Chase race), televised on
USA Network - Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1 at 2 p.m. ET (Chase race), televised on NBC
The 2026 NASCAR season marks the 11th year of UniFirst's multi-year partnership with Hendrick Motorsports and the seventh year that UniFirst has proudly sponsored Elliott and the No. 9 team. UniFirst is the Official Workwear Provider of Hendrick Motorsports, supplying work clothing and uniforms to the Hendrick team, as well as to its sister company, Hendrick Automotive Group.
For more information on UniFirst, visit UniFirst.com.
About UniFirst
UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) helps businesses of all sizes keep their workers safe, comfortable, and professional with work uniform and facility service solutions, as well as first aid and safety supplies and services. Headquartered in
About Hendrick Motorsports
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport's premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (15), points-paying race victories (320) and laps led (more than 85,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 41 different seasons, including an active streak of 40 in a row (1986-2025). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, and one in the NASCAR O'Reilly Series with newcomer Corey Day. Headquartered on more than 150 acres in
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SOURCE UniFirst Corporation
FAQ
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