Chicago – September 17, 2026 -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) has been designated the Official Tooling Supplier of NASCAR, the company announced at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2026 in Chicago.
Kennametal unveils NASCAR designation at IMTS 2026 booth in Chicago
Dave Bersaglini, Kennametal Vice President and President of Metal Cutting, revealed the partnership at the company's Next Level Shop exhibit, Booth No. 431800, West Building Level 3, during IMTS 2026, running Sept. 14–19 at McCormick Place.
Partnership builds on three years of on-site engineering collaboration
Kennametal joined NASCAR's Competition Partner Program in 2023, since which its applications engineers have maintained a continuous presence at NASCAR's Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina. The teams have conducted on-site testing, refined machining strategies and evaluated tooling to improve manufacturing performance across NASCAR's operations.
NASCAR gains direct access to Kennametal's tooling expertise
Bob Duvall, NASCAR's Competition Partnerships & Contingency Managing Director, said the arrangement replaces a prior trial-and-error approach to sourcing tooling. He noted that NASCAR previously had to search for solutions and hope for the right choice, whereas the new partnership gives direct access to Kennametal's application expertise to identify correct tooling on the first attempt.
As the designated supplier, Kennametal will provide advanced metal cutting solutions and technical support tailored to NASCAR's manufacturing demands, where machining tolerances are measured in thousandths of an inch.