ATLANTA, July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoTrader.com will be the primary sponsor of Team Penske driver Joey Logano when he returns to his home track this weekend on the quest for his third win of the season.

Logano will race in an AutoTrader-branded fire suit and drive the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion with a special AutoTrader livery in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Camping World RV Sales 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) this Sunday, July 13. Logano has also taken over AutoTrader's Instagram account in the days leading up to the race, taking fans behind the scenes as he prepares for New Hampshire. During the race, fans are encouraged to follow #TeamAutoTrader on Twitter and Instagram for real-time updates from Logano and his crew. 

"This race is a highlight of our relationship with Team Penske and Joey Logano, and we're thrilled to show off how good the No. 22 car looks in AutoTrader orange," said Jessica Stafford, senior director of consumer marketing, AutoTrader.com. "Joey has had a great season so far and we look forward to helping cheer him on to victory in New Hampshire."

In addition to the action race fans will see on the track, AutoTrader is giving an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience to a local college student.  University of New Hampshire student Melissa Proulx was named the winner of the first-ever "AutoTrader 500" contest for aspiring reporters. The contest invited New Hampshire college students to submit 500-word essays about their passion for journalism. As the winner, Proulx will experience the sights, sounds and excitement as an embedded journalist; have the opportunity to interview Logano one-on-one; and produce content for AutoTrader's website. Her essay was chosen as the winner by AutoTrader's expert editorial team.

"We selected Melissa's essay as the winner because it was personal, warm and honest," said Brian Moody, site editor for AutoTrader.com. "She understands that good journalism is storytelling, and we're thrilled to give her the opportunity to interview Joey Logano before his race this weekend."

Logano, the youngest winning driver in NASCAR Nationwide Series history, produced his first career Sprint Cup Series victory at NHMS in 2009 and has two wins this season as the No. 22 team has raced its way into the Chase for the Championship. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be broadcast live on TNT and PRN Radio affiliates.

About the AutoTrader 500
The first-ever AutoTrader 500 essay contest invited New Hampshire to submit 500-word essays about their interest in sports journalism for the chance to attend the NASCAR race as a journalist and interview Team Penske's Joey Logano. The winning essay, chosen by AutoTrader.com's expert editorial team, was selected based on criteria such as content, creativity and style. More information is available at www.autotrader.com/500.

About AutoTrader.com 
Created in 1997, Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace. As a leading resource for car shoppers and sellers, AutoTrader.com aggregates millions of new, used and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of dealers and private sellers and provides expert articles and reviews. AutoTrader.com, which also operates the AutoTraderClassics.com auto marketing brand, is wholly owned by Cox Automotive. Additionally, Cox Automotive owns Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com®), Manheim Auctions as well as companies that provide a full suite of software tools that help dealers and manufacturers manage their inventory and advertising online: vAuto®, HomeNet Automotive®, VinSolutions®, AIS Rebates™, Genius Labs® and Haystak™. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

About Team Penske
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced more than 390 major race wins, over 450 pole positions and 25 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories in its storied history. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.

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SOURCE AutoTrader.com