Auto Club Group/AAA has had a longtime relationship with Michigan International Speedway in mid-Michigan. With the sponsorship of Roush Racings #99 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car driven by Carl Edwards, AAA has partnered with one of the leaders in the motorsports field. If racing and AAA still seem an unlikely match, consider the role motorsports has played in advancing auto safety. In fact, many of the safety features we now take for granted in our cars, trucks and SUVs were introduced and tested in auto races. Such features as lap and shoulder safety belts, hydraulic brakes and radial tires are just a few. AAAs support of the sport is directed to efforts to make driving safer and more enjoyable. With its support of the motorsports program, AAA has found an exciting way to promote their name, products and safety message. These programs also provide AAA with a way to encourage young people to drive responsibly and to seek careers in automotive-related fields. AAA was one of the original sponsors of the Indianapolis 500 and the governing body of U.S. auto racing until the 1950s.(AAA Site)(1-12-2005)
AND the races AAA will supposedly be the primary sponsor are:
Michigan International Speedway June 19
Chicagoland Speedway – July 10 [major assoc]
Indianapolis Brickyard 400 August 7
Michigan International Speedway – August 21
but they could change as it was mentioned in the Office Depot PR that they would be the primary there.(1-12-2005)
UPDATE: Roush Racing announced today that the AAA Auto Club Group (ACG) will be carried as the primary sponsor on the #99 Roush Racing Ford of Carl Edwards for three races in 2005. In addition to being the primary sponsor for both Michigan races and the Brickyard 400, AAA will also be a major associate at Chicago and an associate for the remainder of the races in 2005. The Auto Club Group, based in Dearborn, Michigan, is the largest AAA affiliate in the Midwest and includes the Auto Club Insurance Association as well as six AAA clubs: AAA Chicago, AAA Michigan, AAA Minnesota/Iowa, AAA Nebraska, AAA North Dakota and AAA Wisconsin, which serve approximately 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG is the first AAA affiliate to sponsor a car in the Nextel Cup Series. An endeavor that AAA is looking forward to embarking on. Carl Edwards is definitely one of the rising stars in NASCAR racing, said Charles H. Podowski, president/CEO of ACG. The Auto Club Group is extremely pleased that we will be the primary sponsor of his car #99 in three Nextel Cup Series races this year, and that his car and racing gear will carry the AAA logo as a sponsor in each of the other 35 races in which he is scheduled to compete. Sponsorship of a car and driver on the hugely popular NASCAR racing circuit will help raise AAAs profile with the many fans of this major spectator sport. The sponsorship ties very nicely into AAAs century-long commitment to supporting continued improvement in vehicle safety. Podowski continued, Many of the safety features we take for granted on todays passenger vehicles, such as lap-and-shoulder safety belts and hydraulic brakes, were introduced and perfected in racecars. NASCAR races will continue to be the proving ground for new safety equipment, and the AAA clubs that comprise The Auto Club Group are pleased and proud to help support that progress.(Roush Racing PR)(1-19-2005)
