TMS Unveils Danica, Helio Billboards To Promote June IRL Race
Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) Monday will unveil the latest installment of its "Reasons" billboard campaign to promote its June 7 IRL Bombardier Learjet 550k night race. The billboards will feature drivers Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves. Patrick's billboard displays an image of her from the SI Swimsuit issue and reads, "Reason #7: Danica!" while Castroneves' plays off his "Dancing With The Stars" victory and states, "Reason #3: Tango at 220!" The "reason" numbers coincide with Patrick's and Castroneves' respective car numbers. Each driver will be displayed on three billboards in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area (TMS). In Ft. Worth, John Sturbin reported TMS also will have a billboard promoting the track in Indianapolis in conjunction with the Indy 500. TMS is "paying $10,000 for a month's worth of promotion [TMS President Eddie] Gossage believes is good for his track, the [92nd Indy] 500 and the IndyCar Series" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 4/24).
REAPING THE PROFITS: In Detroit, Angelique Chengelis reports ticket sales for the August 31 IRL Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix "have been brisk" since Patrick's win at last weekend's Indy Japan 300. Grand Prix Public & Community Relations Dir Merrill Cain: "We experienced a slight increase in ticket sales following Danica's win over the weekend" (DETROIT NEWS, 4/25). In a separate piece, Chengelis writes Patrick's win will "elevate her stature -- and her marketability -- even higher. She's attractive and she's a winner, and that's a tough combination to beat" (DETROIT NEWS, 4/25).
DANICA OVERSHADOWED NASCAR: In a special to ESPN.com, NASCAR driver and former IRL driver Sam Hornish Jr. wrote the NASCAR Nationwide Series Corona Mexico 200 in Mexico City "did seem to get overshadowed because of Danica's win." Hornish: "I'm not sure if more fans are going to go to IRL races because of her win, but I do think the media coverage ... there might be more press going to some of the races. But in terms of the TV ratings, I don't think that's going to change anything." Hornish added: "I do think she's good for the sport. It's a draw. People are interested in it because she's in it" (ESPN.com, 4/23).
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| TMS To Unveil Latest "Reasons" Billboards Next Week |
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