Red Sox To Appear On Roush Fenway Racing Car

By Eric Fisher, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

Red Sox To Appear On Roush Fenway Racing Car

Roush Fenway Racing (RFR), Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and the Red Sox this morning announced a series of promotional efforts around this weekend’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Lenox Industrial Tools 300 at nearby New Hampshire Int'l Speedway (NHIS).  RFR driver Carl Edwards will drive a Red Sox-themed No. 99 car with the club’s logo on the hood.  The Red Sox will hold a special “Roush Fenway Racing” night tomorrow during their game against the Rangers, with RFR drivers participating in a pregame ceremony and RFR cars displayed at the ballpark.  NESN's Jerry Remy will also conduct a test drive at NHIS earlier Friday. 

REV IT UP: The events have been in the works since FSG, the sports marketing company owned by Red Sox parent New England Sports Ventures, formed a joint equity partnership with Roush Racing in February.  FSG Exec VP and Red Sox Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Sam Kennedy called this week's efforts “sort of our coming out party” with regard to RFR.  Kennedy: “We’ve been careful not to overly force feed NASCAR to our [Red Sox] fan base, but this will be our first big step to create some excitement as we try to leverage the fan passion we have here in New England.” 

SPONSORSHIP ELEMENTS: Lumber Liquidators has signed on as a major sponsor for Edwards' Red Sox car and will get branding on the hood.  Gillette will also have a logo on the car. Each are existing, significant corporate sponsors of the Red Sox, and purchased the additional promotional assets from RFR.  MLB Properties also was involved in the design of the Edwards car.  The Red Sox can only sponsor a car at NHIS due to MLB's rules on marketing territories.