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NASCAR Daily News Headlines * December 12, 2007
Richert Replaces Pemberton At DEICrew chief Ryan Pemberton has left Dale Earnhardt Inc., and the team said Doug Richert will replace him beginning Wednesday. Pemberton was scheduled to lead the No. 8 Chevrolet that will be co-driven next season by Mark Martin and Aric Almirola. "Ryan is immensely talented and has always been sought-after," DEI general manager John Story said Tuesday. "He's now chosen to pursue some of those opportunities and we wish him nothing but the best." Pemberton spent eight seasons with MB2 Motorsports, which was bought by Bobby Ginn before last season. Ginn then sold the team to DEI, and Pemberton continued with the organization after the acquisition.(espn.go.com)
McMurray Will Run Kart RaceThe World Karting Association kicks off yet another year of holiday cheer at historic Daytona International Speedway with the return of WKA’s Daytona Cometic Gasket Kartweek, December 28 – 30, 2007. Hundreds of competitors will hit the pavement at DIS including NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and Daytona International Speedway’s defending July Sprint Cup Series 400 champion Jamie McMurray, as well as his father, Jim, who is a regular entry at DIS.The 2008 racing season for the Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series Driven By Mazda and the George Kugler/Bridgestone Manufacturer’s Cup Series Driven By Mazda will kick off at the famed Speedway. Road Racers will once again race the high banks while the 2-cycle sprint racers of the Manufacturer’s Cup will run on the challenging sprint course inside NASCAR turns 3 and 4 located in the DIS Infield. “We’re excited to renew our Holiday Tradition with the WKA,” DIS President Robin Braig said. “We look forward to providing the fans and competitors with a memorable and competitive weekend.”
Report Rates Sponsorships ValueMilwaukee brewer Miller Brewing Co. is getting a high rate of return on its sponsorship of NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, at least when it comes to broadcasters and Busch himself mentioning one of his sponsors on the air, according to research released by SportsBusiness Journal.Busch, who drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, ranked second among NASCAR drivers for on-air audio mentions of Busch and a sponsor, reflecting a monetary value for the media exposure of about $3.64 million. That was the conclusion of a recent report that captured and assessed the more than 96,000 sponsor impressions through NASCAR's 37-race Nextel Cup Series schedule, including the Nextel All-Star Challenge. The research was conducted by Kansas City, Mo.-based sponsorship measurement firm Image Impact and SportsBusiness Journal, an affiliate publication of The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee. Nearly 400 sponsors were tracked, analyzing primary and secondary car and driver partners, all race venue signage, and the myriad graphics and audio mentions from the races' TV broadcasts. Tertiary sponsors on driver and pit crew uniforms and on the quarter panels of the race cars were not reported. As far as audio mentions, Busch ranked second in NASCAR with 124 "detections" equating to 10 minutes and 20 seconds of air time. Jeff Gordon, driving the No. 24 Du Pont Chevrolet, ranked the highest with 178 detections, equaling 14 minutes and 50 seconds of air time valued at $5.07 million. Busch didn't rank among the top five when both audio and video detections were evaluated. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, driving the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, was the top driver with 7,845 detections valued at $55.98 million. Among the beer brands, Miller Lite lost out to main rival Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.'s Budweiser brand, an official sponsor of NASCAR. Miller Lite had 2,099 detections valued at $18.48 million, compared with Budweiser's 3,024 detections valued at $45.54 million.(bizjournals.com)
Johnson Expands HorizonsJimmie Johnson and Gillette have severed ties on the "Young Guns" program as the back-to-back Cup Series champion goes in search of an agency to help him market his on-track success.Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports and an original member of Gillette's "Young Guns," hopes to capitalize on his consecutive titles with the type of off-track deals that will broaden his appeal and take his endorsement reach beyond the racetrack. He has met with as many as eight agencies, from motorsports marketing to full-service talent representation, and two finalists have emerged: CAA and Wasserman Media Group. It's uncertain when Johnson might make a final decision on an agency, but he is believed to be poised to choose one in the coming week. Judging by merchandise sales, Johnson's popularity among the fans hasn't quite caught up to his success on the track, although it's gaining. His licensed goods are generally listed as the fourth-best-seller behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. NASCAR.COM reported that Johnson ranked fourth most of the season but jumped to third in the last month since claiming his second consecutive championship. Since winning the Cup title last month, at least one ad, featuring Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus in a Kobalt Tools commercial, has been running on ESPN during other sports programming, including college basketball. Lewensten said the goal was to partner with more sponsors who are willing to use Johnson beyond the realm of racing. Johnson currently has personal services agreements with Levi's (which like Gillette, ends this year), Tylenol, Gatorade, Gargoyle Sunglasses, XM and Elizabeth Arden. His team sponsors through Hendrick are Lowe's, Kobalt Tools, Quaker State, Time Warner Cable, Siemens, Top Choice Lumber, UGS and Chevrolet.(nascar.com)
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Motorsports Authentics Report LossesThe Motorsports Authentics licensed-products business will lose between $45 million and $50 million in 2007, International Speedway Corp. reported during a conference call Wednesday with financial analysts to discuss 2008 projections. ISC, which will record a write-off of $25 million to $50 million in 2007 from Motorsports Authentics, projects that the business will break even in 2008."While we are clearly disappointed in the magnitude of the [write-off], we continue to believe the sale of licensed merchandise represents a significant opportunity in the sport," ISC Chief Financial Officer Susan Schandel said. Motorsports Authentics, a 50-50 partnership between ISC and Speedway Motorsports, has laid off more than 20 percent of its staff and has changed certain operational procedures. Motorsports Authentics will decrease the number of merchandise trailers at the track in the future and will use a more targeted apparel strategy, Schandel said. The company blamed part of the losses on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s announcement that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. in May, as well as other driver movement for 2008 announced earlier than usual. Schandel said ISC expects Earnhardt Jr. and others to sell more products next year when they move to new teams.(scenedaily.com)
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