Santerre-Reece Motorsports, co-owned by BGN driver, Andy Santerre, Winston-Salem area businessman, Mike Reece, and Briggs Cunningham III, and the Andy Santerre Fan Club, have developed a promotion to allow race fans t he opportunity to sponsor and have their name on the #01 BGN. The FAN CAR will debut at Pikes Peak International Raceway in the live, nationally-televised NAPA Auto Care 250 on July 28, 2001. The idea was born after Sue Santerre, the teams Public Relations Director, posted a message on the teams website, www.Santerre-Reece-Motorsports.com, that the team would not compete at Richmond International Raceway due to a lack of sponsorship. Response was immediate, as fans started e-mailing the team, asking what it would take for the team to race more often. From that initial round of e-mails and subsequent conversations with fans, the idea of a FAN CAR took root and flourished, laying the gr ound work for an innovative promotion that would give race fans a chance to sponsor a NASCAR Busch Series race car. I was amazed at the number of e-mails we received from fans about not racing Richmond, Andy Santerre said. Racing is a matter of economics, with no financial backing in the form of sponsorship, you cant race. Being without adequate corporate backing, we have to pick and choose which races we run. We definitely wanted to race my home track at New Hampshire, but couldnt do both Richmond and New Hampshire. I didnt realize how many fans were disappointed in our decision to skip Richmond. I posted the message that we wouldnt be racing at Richmond on our web board, Sue Santerre confirmed. Within an hour I started receiving e-mails from fans asking what they could do to help us race more. I was amazed at how much support was shown in ju st a few days. I discussed the idea of a FAN CAR with friends and they thought it would be a great idea. Then I ran the idea by some of my Public Relations/Marketing colleagues and they thought it was a great idea as well. Santerre continues, What do we have to loose? Well open up the sponsorship of our car to race fans in the way of a FAN CAR and see what happens. The FAN CAR will debut at the NAPA AutoCare 250 at Pikes Peak International Raceway on July 28, 2001. The top-50 sponsors names will be placed on the trunk deck and/or lower rear quarter panels of the #01 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the NBC nationally-tele vised broadcast. If the response is significant, we will also put sponsors names on the trunk deck of the #01 Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Watkins Glen International Speedway on July 8, 2001. All sponsors names, regardless of the sponsorship amount will be listed in the Santerre-Reece Motorsports media guide, in the Andy Santerre Fan Club Newsletter and on the Santerre-Reece Motorsports web site. The highest monetary sponsor and a guest, (both 18 years an older), will be invited to attend Pikes Peak International Raceway as guests of the team. They will receive two garage passes, be guided on an in-depth garage and pit tour with a team representat ive, be an honorary pit crew member during the event, and receive a radio/scanner to use during the event to listen to team communications. Hotel accommodations are included, though travel to and from Pikes Peak is the sponsors responsibility. Due to the fact that Santerre-Reece Motorsports is not a non-profit organization, sponsorship pledges are not tax deductible. The FAN CAR is open for sponsorship from fans across America, Andy Santerre explains. NASCAR fans give so much to this sport and they are the main reason NASCAR is successful and that we have such a strong sanctioning body to race under. The FAN CAR i s our small way of offering those fans a chance to be a part of the sport they love to support. Sue Santerre adds, If you have ever dreamed of putting your name on a race car, now is the time, you have a perfect opportunity to be an integral part of a race program for a fraction of the cost of a team sponsor. Sponsorship pledges must be received by Thursday, July 12, 2001 to be eligible for the top-50 sponsors list and the trip to Pikes Peak. Andy Santerre heads back to Pikes Peak International Raceway, the site of his first and only NASCAR Busch Series victory, with the best performance record of any NASCAR Busch Series driver to-date at the 1.0-mile oval. Log on to www.santerre-reece-motorsports.com for more information on the FAN CAR promotion and to sign up.(6-9-2001)
