hearing that a new Winston Cup team – Bang Racing was in line to receive the AT&T Wireless sponsorship – not Roush Racing. Bang Racing is a new team founded by Alex Meshkin, a young technology executive from Reston, VA. Ironically – the same city where Nextel is headquartered. Meshkin founded a software company that he sold when he was just 19 years old he is now 23. Also hearing that Bang Racing is not just another race team – but a technology-based team that enables corporations to make NASCAR sponsorships interactive and measurable using a patented wireless technology. Apparently, this technology will allow fans to interact with teams and sponsors using any wireless phone – not just Nextel phones. Have heard that Bang Racing has been in talks with Nextel about a car sponsorship deal – but Nextel decided to become the title sponsor instead. Nextel and Bang Racing are still talking about a technology deal that would allow Nextel to exclusively offer this technology to their subscribers. Also, hearing that Larry McReynolds may be one of the owners along with Alex Meshkin and other technology executives from Reston, VA.(6-19-2003) UPDATE: Bang! McReynolds back racing: Bang LLC – a global organization providing marketing services and technology solutions announced today the launch of Bang Racing. Bang LLC is the brainchild of Alex Meshkin, a pioneer of interactive marketing strategies and strategic sponsorship marketing. Meshkin was profiled in numerous North American business publications when at the age of 19 he founded the first startup company in the space of Internet usage rewards, the first of several startups earning him industry praise as a leading marketing entrepreneur. Meshkin’s company Bang LLC recently partnered with renowned NASCAR Crew Chief and FOX Sports Broadcaster Larry McReynolds to create Bang Racing, with the goal of making corporate sponsorships in NASCAR interactive and measurable. With NASCAR popularity reaching record levels in recent years, corporate America has paid attention by investing in multi-million dollar sponsorship programs to NASCAR teams. Yet, after paying out huge sums, often sponsors are not sure if their dollars have hit target audiences, and have no way of determining if their brand message is interacting directly with their fan base.
According to Meshkin, “The industry is ripe and there is a demand for improvement in NASCAR sponsorship. Leading corporations today investing in multi-million dollar sponsorship programs are demanding more from their sponsorship investment than a means for consumer awareness and branding. With our marketing strategies and patented technology solution we have been able to validate the need for ever growing investment expenditures to sponsors.” Interest from corporate sponsors has been overwhelming.
McReynolds, whose name has become synonymous with successful NASCAR programs, has over the years passed up numerous offers to get back into racing, but said he could not resist co-owning and heading up the motorsports division for Bang Racing. According to McReynolds, “Bang Racing is going to create a real impact in the NASCAR community and sponsorship arena. Over the past nine months Bang has quietly geared itself to be the most innovative and comprehensive motorsports marketing program in NASCAR.
[B]igger sponsorships are needed to compete on the track – and with our marketing and technology abilities, I’m confident we’ll be at the front of the pack.” McReynolds has been busy recruiting to meet sponsor demand. In an interview on August 7th he declared “Bang Racing will be of championship caliber. . . [T]he 2004 season [will be] just the beginning of history in the making. We’ve brought together some of the best people in the entire industry . . . [with] the experience, dedication and know how to get the job done right – and I expect Bang Racing to set the pace for others to follow and be in the forefront in top performance.”
Bang Racing’s innovation and creativity is as youthful as its owner. At 23, Meshkin is the youngest team owner in NASCAR, which in itself has sparked the interest of sponsors seeking to target the new NASCAR generation. Himself a die-hard fan, Meshkin is excited at combining his marketing acumen with the know-how of racing icon McReynolds. “We are a great fit for this new marketing endeavor. . . Larry [McReynolds] is one of the most respectable race team leaders in NASCAR and I believe we have the winning combination to become a dynamic force on the track. . . [T]hese are exciting times . . . You might say, we are at the cross-roads where digital technology and NASCAR meet head-on.”
About Bang Racing: Bang Racing is the first Motorsports team to combine emerging digital technology with strategic marketing to make NASCAR sponsorships interactive and measurable. By providing a system to measure, modify and manage the sponsors’ marketing message, Bang leverages traditional brand marketing with innovative, interactive cross platform promotions to benefit corporate sponsors. The future of digital motorsport sponsorships has arrived with Bang.(Bang Racing PR)(9-17-2003)
