Chicago-based IEG estimates that sponsorship spending
in the IRL will "jump" 18% this year, marking the "biggest
percentage increase in motorsports," as North American
companies will spend $143M on the league, up from $121M in
'99, according to Bill Koenig of SPEEDNET. IEG estimates
that overall, companies will spend $1.35B on motorsports
this year, a 10% increase from last year, as NASCAR will
take in $558M, a 9.2% "jump," and CART will receive $492M,
an 8.6% increase. The estimates include money spent on
series, team and track deals but don't include TV contracts.
The IRL said that the IEG estimates "still undercount
corporate dollars." But CART Senior VP/Marketing Patrick
Leahy called the IEG projections "great news. It says to me
(sponsors) are getting value out of it" (SPEEDNET, 2/23).
THESE DEALS MEAN EXCITEMENT: N.Y.-based Famous Fixins
will market a line of Tony Stewart Racecar Mints during the
2000 NASCAR season. The mints, which are shaped like
Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Pontiac, will be sold in
collectible tins. A portion of the sales proceeds will go
to Habitat For Humanity Int'l (Famous Fixins)....ESPN2's Dr.
Jerry Punch called Lycos' sponsorship of the Tim Beverley-
owned No. 10 Winston Cup Pontiac and driver Johnny Benson
"huge. ... The deal came together 9:30 on Saturday night.
Lycos all along was going to be an associate sponsor, but
they decided to go ahead and step it up and become a primary
sponsor on Saturday night. Of course, on Sunday morning,
all they had time to do was put some black decals on the
car. While we were there today, they decided to go ahead
and change the car look for this year" ("RPM 2Night," 2/22).
