Wheels & Deals: UPS Gives Motorsports Account To Just Marketing
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UPS Will Sponsor Roush Fenway Racing's No. 6
Cup Entry, Driven By David Ragan, Next Season |
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Michael Smith reports UPS has awarded its motorsports business to Indianapolis-based Just Marketing Int'l, which also "spearheaded the company's sponsorship search earlier this year." UPS next season will sponsor Roush Fenway Racing's No. 6 Sprint Cup Series Ford driven by David Ragan, leaving Michael Waltrip Racing. Just Marketing will guide UPS' "strategy, activation, public relations, hospitality, show cars, promotions and business-to-business efforts." UPS previously used a combination of AIM Marketing, Atlanta, and Elevation, Charlotte, for its marketing and PR (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 12/1 issue).
SALE OF THE CENTURY: In Charlotte, Jefferson George reported Lowe's Motor Speedway's (LMS) annual Souvenir & Race Ticket Blow-Out Sale, which usually takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving, this year was extended through the entire weekend, "due partly to the sour economy's effect on spending by NASCAR fans." SMI VP/Business Affairs Don Hawk, whose company owns LMS, said that the sale also was "ripe for a marketing boost -- the speedway bought radio, print and Internet ads this year." Hawk said that the idea to extend the sale came from SMI Chair & CEO Bruton Smith. George noted the "tough economy has left plenty of race teams with a surplus of memorabilia, clothing, posters and die-cast cars." Hawk said of sales, "I have never seen it this tight" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 11/27).
FUEL FOR THOUGHT: In Milwaukee, Dave Kallmann reported the American ethanol industry has asked the IRL to "reverse its decision to use APEX-Brasil as its fuel supplier next season and use domestically produced ethanol" instead. Brazilian ethanol is made from sugar cane, while American ethanol is produced from corn (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 11/28). IRL Commercial Division President Terry Angstadt in a statement said the Ethanol Promotion & Information Council (EPIC), which had produced the IndyCar Series' American ethanol, told the IndyCar Series that it would "not be renewing the agreement for 2009 and beyond and EPIC is ceasing operation" (IRL).
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Humpy Wheeler Wants To Help
Displaced NASCAR Employees |
LOOKING FOR WORK: Former SMI President & CEO Humpy Wheeler has partnered with the North Carolina Motorsports Association to create the Motorsports Employment Task Force in order to "come up with ideas to help displaced NASCAR workers." Wheeler: "When you count up the small teams, too, that we don’t hear about, the Nationwide teams and smaller Truck teams, we likely have over 1,000 people losing their jobs. Historically, those who lost jobs in the past moved back to their hometown states and we lost them from the area. The main thing is that we don’t lose them from the region" (SCENEDAILY.com, 11/26).
TIME TO PARTY: Just Marketing, Old National Bank, the Pacers and Honda will serve as presenting sponsors for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Gala, scheduled for February 27 at the Indiana Convention Center. The event, which is title sponsored by law firm Ice Miller, will kick off IMS' three-year Centennial Era celebration from '09-11 (IMS).
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