America’s Racing Team to Debut in 2011: NASCAR fans all across the country will now have one team to pull for: their team, America’s Racing Team. After multiple large-scale quantitative and qualitative studies, the creation of America’s Racing Team (ART), a NASCAR Sprint Cup team formed primarily from “Team Partners,” was announced today live on NASCAR.com from “The World Center of Racing,” the Daytona International Speedway. ART will be the first team in the history of NASCAR to be largely bankrolled by the fans. The announcement was made by Michael Wright, serving as ART’s Chief Marketing Officer, and by Daniel Webber, part of the ownership group that has helped form ART. Also present were special guests including service men and women from the Daytona Beach area.
Wright, a 20-year veteran of global sports marketing agency IMG and former agent for four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon, announced that ART will enter the #76 during the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup season beginning next February at the “Great American Race,” the Daytona 500. The team will rely on “Team Partners” to help fuel the team in the 2011.
In true NASCAR fashion, this concept was the brainchild of a family of experienced business veterans from the world of sports and live entertainment, the Webbers. A resident of New York City, son Daniel Webber’s business ventures include SuperVision Media, which provides groundbreaking 3-D coverage of events and has worked with The 2010 FIFA World Cup, Formula One Racing and ESPN. His father, John Webber, spent over two decades at IMG, working with international sports and entertainment figures including racing legends Sir Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna. Daniel’s mother, Diane, is a noted sports lawyer whose clients have included many leading drivers and teams on Formula One and IndyCar circuits.
The announcement of the team today allows time for fans of all ages to begin their immediate Team Partnership into the America’s Racing Team #76 entry. Annual memberships begin at $44.95 for children, $49.95 for teens and $299.95 for adults. Small businesses may also join the team’s “76 Pit Club” for a membership fee of $1,999.95. Family memberships, two adults and two kids, are available for $499.95. Fans can begin their membership at the website www.americasracingteam.com and sign-up for annual, three-year or five-year memberships.
The team also announced Elton Sawyer is assisting as a competition advisor to America’s Racing Team. Sawyer works with the team after coming from Evernham Motorsports and most recently Red Bull Racing where he helped build that organization into a winning team. Ownership is currently working to establish a team headquarters in the greater Charlotte area. The team is currently securing a technical partnership with an existing Sprint Cup organization to bring together the best operational personnel, including a crew chief, crew members and a driver.
Team Partners will be allowed unique benefits of the sport, including input of driver selection to paint schemes. They will also receive unique team gear and merchandise as well as enjoying discounts on NASCAR tickets and accommodations. The team is proud to announce its first commercial partnership for team partners, the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. Fans will be seeing a lot more from America’s Racing Team in the coming weeks and months ahead. The team will debut TV commercial spots on ESPN and SPEED as well as national radio ads. The team already has a significant online presence including a website and Facebook and Twitter accounts for fans to learn more information about the team and how to get involved. All fans are encouraged to visit www.americasracingteam.com to become a partner of the team today.(Breaking Limits)(7-2-2010)