Busch hailing from Las Vegas helped his new deal with Global Poker make senseGETTY IMAGES
NASCAR driver Kurt Busch signed a sponsorship with online gaming site Global Poker, and he said the deal "shows the power NASCAR can produce," according to Dave Skretta of the AP. Busch announced the deal this weekend at ISM Raceway in Phoenix. Virtual Gaming Worlds Exec Dir & CMO Mats Johnson, whose firm is the parent company of Global Poker, said that they "tested partnerships" with the NHL and MLB, and did "all kinds of research with its client base, only to realize many of its customers were fans of NASCAR." Global Poker used an intermediary to "reach out to various teams in the garage, and Ganassi Racing -- and Busch in particular -- came to the forefront." Busch being from Las Vegas "helped" the deal make sense. NASCAR has "embraced" gaming deals: Dover Int'l Speedway has an "alliance with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, while Hollywood Casino overlooks the second turn at Kansas Speedway." Johnson said after dealing with MLB and a "few larger organizations, coming to Ganassi Racing has been an eye-opener" (AP, 3/8). Oak View Group Global Partnerships President Dan Griffis was the intermediary who landed the sponsorship deal for Ganassi. Sources say that the deal is for at least four primaries this year on Busch’s No. 1 Chevy (Adam Stern, THE DAILY).
