NASCAR driver Danica Patrick had 971 million impressions on Twitter in the eight days from "when she became the first woman to capture a Sprint Cup pole position to the first to lead the Daytona 500,” according to data from sponsorship research firm Repucom cited by Nate Ryan of USA TODAY. By comparison, last year's Daytona 500 pole winner Carl Edwards 15 million impressions "during the same timeframe last year, and Patrick had 19 million in the two months entering her Daytona 500 debut last season.” Repucom also estimated that Patrick’s primary sponsor Go Daddy “received 1,203 seconds of on-screen branding during the Daytona 500" that was equivalent to $2.9M in media value. Go Daddy during Patrick's last full season in the Izod IndyCar Series in ‘11 had 5,637 seconds of screen time but nearly half the media value ($1.5M) "because NASCAR's ratings and reach dwarf rival racing series.” Patrick also moved up “29 spots after Daytona in the Davie-Brown Index," which quantifies brand clout and marketability of celebrities. As the “highest-ranked NASCAR driver, Patrick (who is 453rd) is on par with George Clooney and Justin Timberlake in endorsement potential and ranks in the top 6% of all celebs in influence” (USA TODAY, 3/13).
