NASCAR Hits the Big Apple
NASCAR hit the Big Apple in a big way this week for its annual Champions Week event, with several sponsors in tow.
The central event was a victory lap on Wednesday featuring the top 10 NASCAR drivers and their garish race cars taking off from outside ABC’s “Good Morning America” in Times Square, and winding up outside the Hard Rock Café. The NASCAR parade included this year’s champion driver, Jimmie Johnson, in his No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy, Jeff Gordon in his No. 24 DuPont, Kyle Busch in his No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy and Carl Edwards in his No. 99 Office Depot Ford.
At the Hard Rock, Sunoco sponsored a breakfast for other NASCAR sponsors, and the drivers were presented with limited edition NASCAR-branded watches from Tissot, official timekeeper and watch for the racing circuit. The limited edition automatic chronograph watches can be purchased online – complete with a NASCAR helmet case – on the Tissot web site for $1,295. “It’s a big season-end celebration,” said Olivier Cosandier, Tissot US brand manager
Tissot, an official timekeeper for world cycling and hockey events, was seeking a U.S. platform when it struck its NASCAR sponsorship deal last year. “It was an easy thing for us,” said Cosandier.
In its inaugural NASCAR sponsorship year, Aflac is title sponsor for the first Pit Stop Tour, consisting of NASCAR racers on display at strategic locations around the city, including Times Square and Bryant Park. The Aflac Fan Fest, another first this year, started Thursday at the Hard Rock Café, concluding Friday with personal appearances by several drivers, including Carl Edwards.
A “Kodak Catch the Moment” promotion at the Hard Rock gives NASCAR fans a chance to have their picture taken with three NASCAR trophies with disposable Kodak cameras they can keep. A Craftsman “Keys to Success” gives fans 30 seconds to pick a key and open a drawer in a tool chest to take assorted NASCAR prizes, including Sunoco gift cards.
“It’s an opportunity to create assets and add value to our sponsors,” said NASCAR spokesman Andrew Giangola on the week of activities. “It also gives NASCAR fans in the New York area a true taste of NASCAR.”
The climax is the annual NASCAR awards dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on Friday night to be carried live on ESPN2.
