e.l.f. Cosmetics returned as the sponsor of race driver Katherine Legge for the third consecutive year. The beauty brand showed its unwavering commitment to supporting her historic attempt to become the first female driver to complete both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. This meant that Katherine Legge would cover a total of 1100 miles across 24 hours. This experience took place on May 24.
As the first cosmetics brand ever to back a female driver attempting this gruelling double-header, e.l.f. Cosmetics boasts its on-track presence and FanZone activations at both races. It used its platform to highlight that women receive only one percent of sports sponsorships, represent just four percent of drivers on track, and are twice as likely to leave racing within their first five years compared to male counterparts.
Image Credit: e.l.f. Cosmetics
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Beauty-sports Sponsorships
- Cosmetics brands entering motorsports create new pathways for lifestyle companies to own visibility in high-adrenaline arenas traditionally dominated by automotive and beverage sponsors.
- Female Athlete Advocacy
- Brand-backed campaigns centered on women racers reveal white-space potential in sponsorship models that combine performance storytelling with equity-focused audience engagement.
- Fanzone Retail Activations
- Trackside beauty experiences merge entertainment, sampling, and community-building, turning live sports venues into immersive commerce platforms for non-endemic brands.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Beauty and Cosmetics
- Motorsports partnerships expand the category beyond traditional influencer and retail channels, positioning beauty brands within endurance, confidence, and high-performance narratives.
- Motorsports
- Non-endemic sponsors bring fresh capital, broader demographics, and culturally relevant programming to racing ecosystems seeking growth beyond legacy fan bases.
- Sports Marketing
- Data-driven equity gaps in sponsorship underscore demand for brand platforms that translate underrepresented athlete stories into measurable cultural and commercial value.
