Newly refurbished series title for sale

Posted by Iannucci | 2/25/2008 | 3 comments »
Bookmark and Share

Amid the joyous quotes and good wishes (see TrackSide Online, IndyCar NewsStand) in a unified world, there was one that jumped out from the IndyStar.

Zak Brown has fought that confusion since his Zionsville-based sports marketing company, Just Marketing, started selling Indy-car sponsorships a few years ago. Unification leads Brown to predict the IRL will soon have a title sponsor for the IndyCar Series, something it hasn't had since Northern Light, an Internet search engine company, left in 2001.

"I guarantee there will be a title for '09," Brown said.

"And it will be a big, blue-chip brand."
It's easy to be bold when you read news like this today, also in the IndyStar.

Brian Barnhart, the IRL's president of competition, expects representatives from six teams accounting for 10 cars at the meeting.

The expected two-car teams are Newman/Haas/Lanigan, PKV, Forsythe/Pettit and Conquest, with Walker and Minardi Team USA fielding one each.

If all participate, the IRL will have 26 cars.
Race Marketing 101 says it's a lot easier to get series sponsorships when you have more than 18 cars, and you don't have to be a marketing wiz like Eddie Gossage to know that.

3 comments

  1. Anonymous // February 25, 2008 11:50 AM  

    No Dale Coyne? The guy's only been running his tiny race team since 1986, is he quitting now?

  2. Fred Hurley // February 25, 2008 12:17 PM  

    $10 says Coyne's at Indy, with Bruno. :-)

    Part of the problem with this silly season is that writers always omit at least one team. For example, this is the first time Minardi's been mentioned that I can recall, and Doornbos has had a note on his website that he's looking forward to racing for them this season in IndyCar. And Doornbos is a great successor to Arie as the token oddball Dutchman.

    I think Coyne is facing a similar issue. Forsythe, Newman Haas, and Walker have been around for so long, and have had some success, so everyone focuses on them. If Coyne can get a sponsor, I think he'll run a partial with Bruno. Of course, that's just my opinion.

  3. Anonymous // February 25, 2008 5:53 PM  

    I love that Sonny's BBQ !

    :p