One-Car NASCAR Team JTG Daugherty Racing Pleases Sponsors, Seeks Expansion

NASCAR team JTG Daugherty Racing’s “carefully crafted business model is delivering success off the track, allowing the 29th ranked team to remain fully sponsored with ambitious plans for a 2012 reorganization and future expansion beyond driver Bobby Labonte,” according to Nate Ryan of USA TODAY. JTG Daugherty as a one-car Sprint Cup Series operation has “maintained longtime partnerships with a bevy of companies such as the Clorox Co. despite a relative lack of on-track success.” Team co-Owner Tad Geschickter said that his team has “built software to help companies track sales based off their sponsorship.” Another focus is “using online chats and offers to send traffic to sponsors’ sites and social-media networks.” Geschickter said Clorox Co. has “promised to up its sponsorship if the team can help register 50,000 fans" for a promotion with its Kingsford charcoal brand. Clorox Dir of Sales Troy Datcher said that the company’s market share “has grown in each race market this year and credited the NASCAR team with helping connect fans to the brand through in-store promotions at retailers such as Safeway and Kroger.” Ryan notes Geschickter “wants to expand to a second car, and the team’s plans are predicated on selling sponsorship around three shopping mega-trends: grilling, car care and health and wellness” (USA TODAY, 10/27).

DELIVERY SYSTEM: UPS today formally announced that it has signed a multiyear agreement to remain the official logistics partner of NASCAR, a designation the company has held since '00. UPS also will serve as a full-season associate sponsor of the No. 99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards in the Sprint Cup Series. The company previously held a full-season primary sponsorship of RFR's No. 6 Cup car driven by David Ragan (THE DAILY). ESPN's Marty Smith tweeted, "UPS deal is shrewd IMO. They retain garage shipping logistics biz & can leverage Edwards at point-of-sale."