Herd Racing partners with Ignite Sports for ’09 NASCAR Truck Series, BRINGS INNOVATIVE MARKETING PROGRAMS TO RACE SPONSORSHIPS
LESAGE, WV - Herd Racing will partner with Ignite Sports to offer new marketing options to potential sponsors interested in promoting their products and brands in NASCAR’s 2009 Camping World Truck Series, the two parties announced January 2.
Marc Williams, president and founder of Ignite Sports, LLC. believes the partnership will help aspiring businesses surpass their competition in today’s challenging economy.
“We’re glad to be working alongside Herd Racing to secure funding and provide marketing support for the 2009 Camping World Truck Series season and beyond,” said Williams. “The staff at Herd Racing have been open to examining opportunities outside the box and are keen to develop key assets that will add value to corporate partnerships.”
“From a sponsor’s perspective, Herd brings access to the driver and team officials. Out staff also offers custom-built online marketing solutions to reach our loyal fan base.”
Ignite Sports, established to offer marketing and consulting services to partners within the sports arena with a primary focus on developing relevant solutions, providing sponsorship, activation solutions and development services.
“There is obviously a difficult macro-environmental situation affecting the sponsorship marketplace, but Herd Racing is in a position to deliver to sponsors a great package form both the competition and commercial side of the business.”
Herd Racing, based in Lesage, West Virginia, will field an entry in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and will enter a handful of Nationwide Series events. The team will work from its 10,000-plus square foot West Virginia facility and can offer many driver sponsor/driver combinations, including 2005 ARCA Truck Series Champion driver, Brett Rowe.
Jeff Parnell, senior vice president of Herd Racing, said the team is dedicated to taking a different approach to sponsor promotion.
“Our group has worked hard to make sure we have the resources in place to not only represent the sponsor with a quality effort on the race track, but we are committed to showcasing their product with a first-class effort off the track as well,” Parnell said.
Parnell said the team will utilize a converted authentic Camping World truck as a racing simulator and also offers various hospitality capabilities, including a pit stop challenge simulator and a Camping World truck that has been converted to a mobile commercial grill.
“Herd Racing is committed to thinking outside the box in an effort to deliver results to our sponsors,” Parnell said. “We will not only showcase our sponsors on the track, but we will help drive home their marketing message through engaging their employees and customers, and giving them a hands-in experience all season long.”
Williams said the time has come when motorsports teams need to shift their thinking from operating solely as a race team and start to act like a marketing company that happens to race.
“It’s crucial in this marketplace for teams to develop an offering for potential sponsors which provide a competitive advantage beyond the ones on the track.”