Stefan Wilson and new partner LOHLA SPORT will join Andretti Autosport for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 30 to complete the team’s six-car lineup.
Wilson will team with the new premier women’s golf lifestyle brand to run the No. 25 LOHLA SPORT Honda. Wilson, 31, from Sheffield, England, finished a career-best 15th and led three laps in the 2018 Indy 500 while driving for Andretti Autosport. He will look to make his third career start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and second with Andretti.
“We’re excited to not only welcome Stefan back to the team but also to have a new partner in LOHLA SPORT come onboard to experience their first Indy 500,” said Michael Andretti, chairman and CEO, Andretti Autosport. “We have a great history with the Wilson family, and we’re hopeful we can build on successes we’ve had in the past this May.”
Said Wilson: “After leading laps with Andretti Autosport at the Indianapolis 500 in 2018, I'm hungry to return and finish the job. I’ve worked tirelessly to make this return happen, and I am so thankful that LOHLA SPORT has believed in me to represent them.
“It’s a dream come true to rejoin Andretti and also partner with Honda once more in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.’ The icing on the cake is we get to do this with a brand-new company in LOHLA SPORT, a premium women's apparel brand already captivating the golf lifestyle scene. Among the fans and partners involved with the Indianapolis 500, we have a huge amount of golf enthusiasts, so I’m excited to get them exposed to what LOHLA SPORT is all about.
“None of this would have happened without Don and Carolyn Cusick, who are avid racing and golf enthusiasts and also shareholders in LOHLA SPORT. This program also represents the birth of Cusick Motorsports, and I am hopeful the 2021 Indianapolis 500 will be a springboard to many exciting opportunities for the Cusick Motorsports brand in the future. Lastly, I am thankful to have Expedia's VIP Access join the effort, along with Menlo Ventures, VSRS and Liberty Group.”
Debuting in January 2021, LOHLA SPORT has quickly captivated the golf, country club and resort market. The brainchild of recognized fashionista Lisa O’Hurley, a former Golf Channel and GOLFINO executive with more than two decades in the industry, the brand’s impeccable sense of style features colorful, on-trend European designs with Los Angeles flair. Formal collaboration with London-based Paul Rees – renowned creator of countless Burberry, Aquascutum and GOLFINO hits – has LOHLA SPORT in roughly 100 exclusive golf shops coast to coast.
“Taking this cool, market-broadening road to Indy doesn’t happen every day,” O’Hurley said. “LOHLA SPORT is proud to support women who love golf and love all sports, as our outfits are fit for the course, court, racetrack and everywhere between.”
Also joining the effort is Cusick Motorsports, created by Don and Carolyn Cusick as a business incubator in racing; VIP Access, Expedia’s network of premium, invitation-only properties; VSRS, specializing in forging exclusive relationships in the automotive sector; Menlo Ventures, an investment firm having backed 70-plus public companies, and Liberty Group, specializing in wealth management, tax planning and estate law.
“As a lifelong INDYCAR fan, I have always wanted to attend the ‘500’ live, but never found my way there until now,” Don Cusick said. “Thankfully, the stars aligned this year, starting with me selling my company to an Indianapolis-based private equity firm, joining the Thermal Club, a ‘private pavement’ racing complex for members only and buying a Hendrick Motorsports Track Attack NASCAR, all of which led to meeting Stefan Wilson and creating this amazing partnership.
“From casually asking Stefan if he had any contacts for great seats at Indy and half-jokingly telling him the best seat would have his butt in it driving, it turns out I’m getting the second-best seat in the house as the sponsor of the No. 25 Andretti Autosport Indy car driven by Stefan. LOHLA SPORT is a company I am invested in, owned by our family friend Lisa O’Hurley. I couldn’t be more excited for the Month of May and this opportunity to sponsor Stefan Wilson, one of the truly great people in motorsports.”
The No. 25 LOHLA SPORT Honda and Wilson will make their 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut on Opening Day on Tuesday, May 18 before the green flag waves for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, May 30, with live coverage on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.