Pacers G Jeff Teague is sponsoring IndyCar driver Buddy Lazier's entry in the Indianapolis 500, which will see Lazier's Chevrolet "sport number 44, a Team Teague sticker and the Factory at D1 Sports decal," according to Jim Ayello of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. D1 is the name of the 33,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art gym Teague is "opening in Indianapolis." Teague's business manager, Jamel Barnes, said his client "couldn't pass" on the opportunity. Barnes: "It’s perfect timing. Hometown kid. And he has the facility opening in a few months not too far from the speedway. ... Not many athletes, let alone a hometown kid playing for the hometown team have their own logos and decals on an Indy 500 car." A sponsorship deal of this magnitude "can take months to complete," though this one "took only a few weeks." Ayello notes it "began with Bruce Bohlander, a sponsorship developer" making a "cold call" to Teague. As Bohlander "drove by Teague’s facility, he wondered what it was, jotted down the number off the sign and decided to make a call." He "left a message, and not long after, he was on the phone with Barnes, who was thrilled with the idea" and three weeks later the deal "was done." Lazier said that there is a "good chance he would not be participating" in the Indy 500 if the deal with Teague "didn't happen." Lazier said that he "expects Teague, who is 'obviously a fan of motor racing,' to pay a visit to the team and the track in the coming days" (INDYSTAR.com, 5/19).
