EA Sports’ NASCAR Thunder is a game enjoyed not only by children and fans, but even by NASCAR drivers themselves. UPS Ford driver Dale Jarrett has a 10-year old son, Zachary, who is a fan of a variety of EA Sports games, including several NASCAR versions. Jarrett’s teammate Elliott Sadler is another who enjoys the games played on equipment such as Xbox video game systems. UPS is now getting in on the action. UPS’s big, brown truck is one of the featured vehicles individuals can race in the new EASports branded NASCAR video game, NASCAR ’06 Total Team Control. Video game enthusiasts now have the ability to complete a virtual lap in the UPS package delivery truck as a fully-functioning vehicle. It marks UPS’s first video game product placement of the truck. The idea developed in part due to the popularity of the “Race the Truck” commercial campaign UPS started in 2001 when it began its relationship with Jarrett as primary sponsor of the #88 Robert Yates Racing Ford. For five years, fans have been imploring to Jarrett to race the truck. With the new game, fans now have the chance to race the truck themselves.(UPS Racing)(9-16-2005)
