hearing that this weeks edition of Street and Smiths Sports Business Journal, there is an article on Starter- “Starter star Rises again, but not in licensed goods”. In the article, it mentions Starter is making a deal to “sponsorship of a BGN car that will feature the Starter mark and logos of more than a dozen universities”. Nothing on their website about it, if it is an assoc or primary deal, and no idea what team/driver it is(10-26-2000)
UPDATE: hearing that Starter will be the new sponsor for the #98 Ford and driver Elton Sawyer. It was announced months ago that Lysol was leaving as the sponsor(11-3-2000)
UPDATE 2: Akins Motorsports and the #98 Ford, driven by Elton Sawyer, will have a new engine program next year, switching from Roush Racing motors to Cosworth. Sources say Starter and Hot Tamales will share primary sponsorship of the #98 Ford in 2001. Starter’s program likely will include the color schemes of at least 10 colleges and universities. Sawyer will run eight to 10 races with the Hot Tamales sponsorship, with the rest of the schedule filled by Starter(Winston Cup Scene Magazine)(11-16-2000)
UPDATE 2: The #98 Akins Motorsports team will use at least 18 different paint schemes this year as part of its sponsorship program with Starter and Just Born Inc. Elton Sawyer will run nine races in Starter colors; eight with Hot Tamales (a Just Born candy product); one each with Zours and Mike & Ike (also Just Born products); and a total of 14 with different colleges and universities. Sawyer will run different cars in the first several races of the season(Winston Cup Scene Magazine)(1-4-2001)
UPDATE: The featured Colleges and race dates:
2/24/01, Rockingham, NC, East Carolina University
3/10/01, Atlanta, GA, University of Georgia
3/24/01, Bristol, TN, The University of Tennessee
4/21/01, Talladega, AL, Auburn University
5/12/01, Louden, NH, University of Connecticut
5/26/01, Charlotte, NC, University of North Carolina
7/1/01, Milwaukee, WI, University of Wisconsin
7/21/01, Madison, IL, University of Illinois
7/28/01, Pikes Peak, CO, University of Nebraska
8/4/01, Indianapolis, IN, Purdue University
8/18/01, Brooklyn, MI, University of Michigan
9/29/01, Kansas City, KS, Kansas State University
10/6/01, Charlotte, NC, North Carolina State University
11/10/01, Homestead, FL, University of Miami
(University of Miami Site)(1-21-2001)
