Alex Tagliani To Race In Indy 500 To Enhance Team's Marketing

Tagliani Replaces Teammate In No. 36 Car For Indy 500 For Sponsor Considerations

SIGH OF RELIEF: Ryan Hunter-Reay was the last driver to make the 33-car field, and ESPN.com’s John Oreovicz noted the final day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying Sunday was “certainly a nail-biting time” for Hunter-Reay and Vision Racing, “especially given Hunter-Reay’s position as the front man for Izod’s widespread promotional campaign with the IndyCar Series.” There “would have been some red faces” in IRL yesterday had the series “embarked on its annual New York City media tour -- with Izod as the focal point -- if Hunter-Reay hadn’t made the field” (ESPN.com, 5/18).

CATCHING THE EYE: In Indianapolis, Erika Smith cites Joyce Julius research as indicating that driver Danica Patrick during last year’s Indy 500 “pulled in about $15[M] for her personal and team sponsors.” Though Patrick finished the race in 22nd, the logos of her team and personal sponsors “spent so much time on TV that they rivaled that of Target," the main sponsor of '08 winner Scott Dixon's No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Go Daddy CEO Bob Parsons, whose company sponsors Patrick, said, “If you go to the race, any race, it doesn’t matter if Danica’s finished 10th. You look at the media and fans, they’re all around Danica” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/19).

Fisher Discusses Struggle To Find Sponsors Since Launching Her Own Race Team

STANDING STRONG: IRL CEO Tony George and driver Tony Kanaan yesterday discussed the state of the racing circuit amid the current economy. Kanaan said, "I have to say we’re doing really good because the way we run our series, it’s always been pretty lean and always trying to cut the costs down.” George added the league is “holding our own.” George: “Since the first of the year, we’ve signed the largest sponsorship agreement in our company’s history. … A lot of the teams have done much better in securing sponsorship and as Tony said, we’re unified now. So we feel like we’ve got some momentum behind our sport” (“Power Lunch,” CNBC, 5/18).

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