DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – KHI Management, a full-service sports marketing agency owned by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick announced an expanded portfolio Wednesday morning adding Cup drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece to its lineup ahead of Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
The addition of Stenhouse Jr. and Preece grows the company’s representation of NASCAR drivers to four including prior clients Harvick and ARCA Daytona winner Harrison Burton.
The organization also announced Wednesday the signing of PGA Tour veteran Vaughn Taylor to its roster.
“We are very happy to see the continued growth here at KHI Management,” said Kevin Harvick, founder of KHI Management. “We’ve been very fortunate over the last couple of years to build a team of athletes that believe in each other and support each other.
“I think Ricky, Ryan and Vaughn will be great additions to our stable and will contend for wins in their respective sports now and for years to come.”
Stenhouse Jr., a two-time Cup Series winner will begin his seventh full-season aboard the No. 17 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing. The Olive Branch, Mississippi native is also a two-time Xfinity Series champion (2011 and 2012) and the 2013 Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
“I’m very excited to team up with the folks at KHI Management,” Stenhouse said. “What they bring to their clients both on and off the track is second to none. I really enjoy seeing the cross-promotions they do with all their clients and sponsors and look forward to being a part of these for years to come.”
Preece aligns with KHI Management ahead of his debut as a full-time Cup driver in Sunday’s Great American Race for JTG Daugherty Racing. The two-time Xfinity Series winner will also run a part-time schedule in the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro SS Coupe for JR Motorsports beginning at Atlanta (Ga.) Motorsports.
“Over the last month, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about everything and I need help,” Preece said during Wednesday’s Daytona 500 Media Day. “Kevin’s been a huge help and all his employees, everyone on the staff, their fantastic.
“That was really the reason. It’s been so good to work with them. It’s something I’m going to enjoy. Kevin is a racer. I can go up to him and talk to him about car stuff. At least I can relate to everything when he responds to me.
“It makes it easy for me.”
Preece admitted he was looking for an agency as his responsibilities shifted to be a Cup driver than being a modified driver which has been the foundation of much of his career.
“There’s just so much going on, I just felt like it was a good thing to do,” he said. “I don’t want to be trying to be not focusing on the race car aspect of it. They’ve made things so easy over the past couple weeks in getting be ready.”
Harvick, the 2014 Cup champion said he is very proud of how his KHI Management group has grown in such a short period of time.
“It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be at this particular point,” he said. “Adding Stenhouse and Preece and Vaughn Taylor from the athlete side, is a big step for us. From a NASCAR side it’s also the easiest step for us because everything that we do is already here.
“For me, the agency side of things has always been a little bit muddy. I feel like we’ve added a little bit of simplicity to it. From the NASCAR side, I feel we can add a lot to what those guys are doing. The golf side, that’s been a growing segment for us.”
Stenhouse Jr., Preece and Taylor are the first athletes announced this year. They will join a roster of KHI Management talent, which includes UFC fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone; NASCAR drivers Harvick and Burton; FOX Sports reporter Shannon Spake; amateur motocross prodigy Ryder DiFrancesco and PGA golfers Jason Gore, James Hahn and Chesson Hadley.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
