The Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) is looking for
marketers to sign on their sponsorship program for the Indy
Racing League (IRL) '96 Series, which will consist of five races,
including the Indy 500 and the inaugural Indy 200 at Disney
World. Clarion Performance Properties, the marketing agency for
IMS, will help develop and implement marketing programs. Each
IRL sponsor will purchase a one-year package which includes ABC-
TV advertising, on-site signage, hospitality, program ads, radio,
international TV, and other features for each of the five races.
Title sponsorship of one of the races is also available for
sponsors. Bill Donaldson, President of IMS Properties, said "by
grouping all the races together into one sponsor package we
create a cooperative group of partners motivated to promote the
whole series." Donaldson also said the sponsors exclusivity
helps defend against ambush marketing (Clarion).
PPG CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE: PPG, the Pittsburgh-based
automotive paint company and one of the largest sponsors of the
IndyCar World Series, is "caught in the crossfire of a fued
between the fledgling Indy Racing League and the established
IndyCar circuit." In the past, PPG has paid $100,000 to the Indy
500 Pole Winner, but the company also supports the IndyCar World
Series with a $1M payoff to the champ and other prize money to
the top 19 other drivers. PPG has separate contracts with each
organization and hopes to have both signed within the next couple
of weeks. The company "will continue as IndyCar series sponsor
and will pay points at Indianapolis" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/17).
