Kansas signs race-title sponsor

[rustyfan]

Not the biggest story of the year, but still worth mentioning IMO, as it's always good to see sponsors expand their commitment (sp?)


Axed from Motorsport.com;

Kansas names race title sponsor
2004-04-27

KANSAS CITY, KAN. (April 27, 2004) -- Argent Mortgage Company LLC announced today it has an agreement to serve as the title sponsor for the IRL IndyCar® Series race set for July 2-4 at Kansas Speedway.

The three-day racing event, featuring the 200-mile per hour Indy cars and top open wheel drivers and teams, will now be known as the Argent Mortgage Indy 300.

The Fourth of July weekend event marks the fourth consecutive year the Indy cars will compete on the fast 1.5-mile high-banked tri-oval.

The Argent Mortgage Indy 300 is set for Sunday, July 4, at 12:30 p.m. (CDT).

Argent Mortgage Company, a sponsor in the IndyCar Series with Team Rahal and a variety of other sporting venues, entered the motorsports arena in 2003 with a successful campaign that included sponsorship of Team Rahal's Toyota Atlantic car driven by Danica Patrick as well as race event sponsorship in the Toyota Atlantic Championship. Argent was the primary sponsor on Team Rahal's second Indy 500 entry in 2003 driven by past open-wheel champion Jimmy Vasser.

In 2004, Argent Mortgage Company serves as a co-primary sponsor with Pioneer Electronics on Team Rahal's IRL IndyCar Series Honda/G-Force entry currently driven by young American driver Buddy Rice of Phoenix, Ariz. Rice is serving as a substitute driver for former Indy 500 and IRL Indy Car Series champion Kenny Brack. Brack was injured in the final 2003 IRL IndyCar Series race in Texas on October 12 and is currently recovering at his home in Columbus, Ohio. Argent continues to sponsor Patrick's Atlantic car in 2004.

"We are pleased to be working with Team Rahal and to be the title sponsor of this exciting Kansas Speedway IRL event," said Wayne Lee, president of Argent Mortgage Company. "Our auto racing programs with Team Rahal have allowed us to showcase the traits of a winner. Teamwork, determination and performance under pressure are essential both on the track and when working with the independent mortgage brokers we serve. I can think of no better place for Argent to celebrate the Fourth of July, than at Kansas Speedway."

"We're excited to team up with Argent Mortgage for our Indy Racing League event," speedway President Jeff Boerger said. Argent has proven time and again that they understand motorsports, and their involvement with the IRL certainly proves that. Kansas Speedway has had some exciting IndyCar events over the past three years, and this year's ARGENT MORTGAGE INDY 300 will prove to be no exception."

Argent Mortgage Company LLC is a national mortgage lender that specializes in nonprime lending. As a wholesale mortgage lender, Argent works with independent mortgage brokers and bankers throughout the U.S.

The Argent Mortgage Indy 300 weekend at Kansas Speedway also will have the popular NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday (July 3) and the Menards Infiniti Pro Series, the ladder series to the IRL IndyCar Series, will precede the Argent Mortgage Indy 300 on July 4.

The 300-mile (200 laps) race will have a star-studded lineup of machines and drivers in the three days of competition including IndyCar Series stars like defending series champion Scott Dixon, defending race winner Bryan Herta, Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish Jr., Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon, Buddy Rice and Dario Franchitti as well as famed team owners such as Bobby Rahal, Dave Letterman, Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi, Michael Andretti and Mo Munn.

Practice for the Argent Mortgage Indy 300 is scheduled for Friday (July 2) with Saturday's (July 3) activities including qualifying for the IRL IndyCar Series.

The Argent Mortgage Indy 300 will be televised live on the ABC-TV at 12:30 p.m.

[climb]

Good, when sponsors arrive it's always a good sign.

[GP Racer]

Originally posted by climb
Good, when sponsors arrive it's always a good sign.

Absolutely agree with that!

At a time when most series are starving for sponsorship, this is bigger news than most.

Any ideas what it costs to sponsor a race as compared to a team? And I wonder if its better than sponsoring a team?

[climb]

Q #1: dunno
Q #2: it basically depends on what kind of consumer base are you targeting. If your commercial activity is limited to a local area, or a state, that's probably better to sponsor your homeland race.
Vice versa, if you act throughout the whole nation, you surely need to sponsor a driver/car/team.