Dollar General To Sponsor The Dollar General 200 Fueled By Amerigas At PIR!

Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber announced today Dollar General, together with AmeriGas, will be the title sponsor of the March 2, 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. The Dollar General 200 Fueled by AmeriGas is the second race of the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

The Dollar General 200 Fueled by AmeriGas will be the feature event for the third day in PIR’s March race weekend. The green flag will drop on the Dollar General 200 Fueled by AmeriGas at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2.

“We are excited to welcome Dollar General and AmeriGas as title sponsors of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on March 2,” said Sperber.  “As the second race of the season, this event has always been an exciting stop on the NASCAR schedule and I’m sure fans will appreciate as much as we do the support of Dollar General and AmeriGas helping to make this race possible.”

In addition to the title sponsorship deal with Phoenix International Raceway, Dollar General is the full-season Nationwide Series sponsor for the No. 20 Toyota driven by Brian Vickers and half-season sponsor for Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry for 17 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“Dollar General’s NASCAR participation is a key element in connecting with our customers and we are excited to partner with AmeriGas in Phoenix,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General Chairman and CEO.

“AmeriGas is pleased to announce our partnership with NASCAR and Phoenix International Raceway,” said Andy Peyton, Vice President of AmeriGas Cylinder Exchange. “As a NASCAR partner, AmeriGas is committed to the sport and its loyal fans.  NASCAR fans are among the most passionate in all of sports, and they love nothing more than getting together with friends to watch the race while grilling their favorite food.  We are looking forward to kicking off the 2013 grilling season in such a big way, especially with a valued partner like Dollar General.”

The March 1-3 NASCAR event weekend at PIR kicks off Friday, March 1 with the first ever stateside NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series race. The party continues on Saturday, March 2 with the Dollar General 200 Fueled by AmeriGas NASCAR Nationwide Series race, as well as the Talking Stick Resort 50 NASCAR K&N Pro Series- West race.  Sunday, March 3 features the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Phoenix International Raceway’s corporate partners include: AdvoCare, AmeriGas, Amkus Rescue Systems, Anheuser Busch, Casino Arizona, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Dollar General, FedEx, Ford Motor Company, Gatorade, GEICO, Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, Goodyear Tires, Lucas Oil, Miller Towing Industries, New Holland, Safety-Kleen, Service Master Clean, Sprint, SUBWAY, Sunoco, Talking Stick Resort, Toyota and UPS.

Tickets for the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ NASCAR Event Weekend at PIR on March 1 -3 are available now and start at just $25. For Phoenix International Raceway tickets and information, call 866-408-RACE (7223) or visit PhoenixRaceway.com

PIR Announces Fan Schedule For November NASCAR Race Weekend!

Four days of NASCAR action will return to Phoenix International Raceway next month with the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event weekend at PIR November 8-11. The event schedule for the fall race weekend, which features the semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, hosts a race from four different NASCAR racing series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck and the K&N Pro Series-West.

The AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will headline the weekend’s action on Sunday, November 11 at 1 p.m. local time.

Saturday, November 10 at 2 p.m. will feature the Great Clips 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race, immediately followed is the championship race for the K&N Pro Series-West division, the Casino Arizona 50. Spectator gates open Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m.

Competition kicks off Friday, November 9 with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gatorade Pole Qualifying at 4:10 p.m., a change from its traditional Saturday date. Friday’s action on the track concludes with the Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at 6 p.m. Gates open Friday at 9 a.m. and fans arriving early can enjoy Sprint Cup, Nationwide and K&N Pro Series-West practice sessions.

Thursday, November 8
3:00 p.m.                                 Spectator Gates open
3:30 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.            NCWTS Practice
4:35 p.m. – 5:25 p.m.            NKNPS-W Practice
5:35 p.m – 7:30 p.m.             NCWTS Final Practice

Friday, November 9
9:00 a.m.                                 Spectator Gates open
9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.            NKNPS-W Final Practice
10:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.        NNS Practice
12:00 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.          NSCS Practice
1:35 p.m. – 2:25 p.m.            NNS Final Practice
2:30 p.m.                                NCWTS Qualifying (two laps, all positions)
4:10 p.m.                                NSCS Qualifying (two laps, all positions)
Gatorade Pole Qualifying
6:00 p.m.                               Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race
(150 laps; 150 miles)

Saturday, November 10
8:00 a.m.                              Spectator Gates open
8:30 a.m.                              NKNPS-W Qualifying (two laps, all positions) impound
9:30 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.        NSCS Practice
10:35 a.m.                            NNS Qualifying (two laps, all positions)
12:35 p.m. – 1:25 p.m.        NSCS Final Practice
2:00 p.m.                            Great Clips 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series Race
(200 laps, 200 miles)
5:00 p.m.                            Casino Arizona 50 NASCAR K&N Pro Series – West Race
(50 laps, 50 miles)

Sunday, November 11
8:00 a.m.                           Spectator Gates open
1:00 p.m.                           AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race
(312 laps, 312 miles)

Tickets for the November 11 AdvoCare 500 Semi-Final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, as well as all other events throughout the November race weekend at Phoenix International Raceway are available at www.phoenixraceway.com or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

PIR Announces Ticket Sales For 2013 Season!

Phoenix International Raceway announced today that tickets for the 2013 season are now available for purchase. Following the prestigious Daytona 500, PIR’s March 1-3 SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ event weekend is the first of two appearances for NASCAR’s top series at the famed one-mile oval. As the only facility in the west with twp Sprint Cup series events, PIR will host the first and last appearances on the west coast for NASCAR’s top series.

PIR will host a total of eight races in 2013, including two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, two NASCAR Nationwide Series races, one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races and the inaugural NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series race.

The same great individual pricing options are still available for both 2013 race weekends with Sprint Cup tickets starting at just $25, Nationwide Series for $15, Camping World Truck Series for $7 and the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series for $20. Free daily on-site parking, combined with regular tram service, live music entertainment and interactive fun throughout PIR’s Midway delivers fans the “best value in NASCAR.”

Fans will receive extra savings by purchasing tickets for the 2013 SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ early. The value pricing period takes place now through December 31, 2012. Regular pricing will begin on Jan. 1 and run through the start of the event weekend.

Season tickets will remain at the same low price as last season, with packages starting at $99. By purchasing a season ticket, buyers will receive significant savings over the regular ticket prices along with all the benefits that come with being season ticket holder- fan appreciation events, the option to purchase additional seats at season prices, first opportunity to upgrade seats and a dedicated phone line to a PIR Customer Relationship Manager.

The SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ will kick off PIR’s 2013 event season, featuring races in NASCAR’s three top series. The SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will take place Sunday, March 3.  The event weekend will also feature the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series and Talking Stick 50 K&N Pro Series- West races on Saturday, March 2, as well as the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series 75 on Friday, March 1.

NASCAR returns to Phoenix for its traditional fall weekend in November, featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup – the AdvoCare 500 – on Sunday, Nov. 10. The AdvoCare 500 event weekend will also feature the Great Clips 200 Nationwide Series race, the Lucas Oil 150 Camping World Truck race and the K&N Pro Series- West Championship race.

Watch the Semi-Final Race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup at PIR on Sunday, Nov. 11.

Tickets for the entire Nov. 8-11 NASCAR event weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more information, visit PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

Great Clips Named Title Sponsor of PIR’s November NASCAR Nationwide Series Race!

Winning by a hair will be the name of the game the fall at Phoenix International Raceway after it was announced today that Great Clips will be the title sponsor of the track’s November NASCAR Nationwide race. The Great Clips 200 will take place Saturday, November 10 at PIR, during the next to last weekend of the 2012 NASCAR season.

“We are pleased to welcome Great Clips as our title sponsor for our November 10^th NASCAR Nationwide Series race,” said Phoenix International Raceway President, Bryan R. Sperber. “That event always plays a pivotal role in determining the championship and we are so delighted to have a wonderful company like Great Clips sponsoring this key race.”

Great Clips is currently the longest-running sponsor in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, dating back to 2000. The team’s No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet will be primarily driven this year by Kasey Kahne, one of NASCAR’s top young drivers. Brad Sweet, who will vie for Nationwide Series rookie of the year honors, will round out the balance of the NNS schedule when Kahne is not behind the wheel. The Great Clips Racing team finished in sixth-place in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.

“Great Clips is pleased to partner with Phoenix International Raceway to sponsor the Great Clips 200 on November 10^th, 2012.  We are bringing the success of our Atlanta sponsorship to the west coast,” said Terri Miller, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Great Clips, Inc. “We look forward to this partnership delivering Great Clips a tremendous amount of system wide branding for our over 3,000 salons and to creating some great excitement for our 127 salons in Phoenix and Tucson areas.

The Great Clips 200 will be one of four races scheduled for the weekend of November 9-11 at Phoenix International Raceway, the final weekend of West Coast racing in the 2012 NASCAR season.

Want to see more of Junior? You’re Gonna!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports to be featured in Nationwide Insurance 2009 marketing campaign!

And, NASCAR Nationwide Series sponsor introduces ‘Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash’ and NASCAR Nationwide Series ESPN ‘Driver Pick ’Em’ game at media day

Charlotte, NC — Nationwide Insurance announced today at NASCAR Nationwide Series media day that NASCAR racing superstar, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his company JR Motorsports will be featured in a new marketing campaign that will begin in February.

The company also introduced other activities related to the sponsorship, including the Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash, which involves an increased winner’s purse at four NASCAR Nationwide Series races, and the NASCAR Nationwide Series ESPN ‘Driver Pick ’Em’ game presented by Nationwide Insurance, a weekly interactive competition for cash prizes that will be available on ESPN.com

Nationwide’s partnership with Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports, the company he owns that fields NASCAR Nationwide Series teams, will include TV and radio advertising. In the ads, Earnhardt Jr. talks about his family’s 30-year history with Nationwide. Earnhardt Jr, is a current Nationwide customer – as are many other members of his family. The campaign will also involve personal appearances with Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports driver, Brad Keselowski.

“My family has been with Nationwide for three generations,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “When they asked me to appear in the campaign I knew it was a good fit because I’ve always appreciated the relationship our family has had with our Nationwide agent. The service we have received as customers has been outstanding.”

Nationwide has created an interactive micro site, nationwide.com/dalejr, which will feature behind the scenes videos and photos from the recent ad shoot. The final ads will be available on this site in mid-February

The campaign is a departure from previous Nationwide ads featuring celebrities. Despite the obvious opportunity for a racing pun, the ad does not include the company’s famous Life Comes at You Fast line and is not intended to be humorous. It’s framed as a customer testimonial, and true story from a family with one of the richest traditions in NASCAR.

“When we considered our approach for 2009 the Earnhardt family’s long history with Nationwide presented us with a great opportunity to talk about how many of our customers stay with us for a lifetime,” said John Aman, associate vice president of sponsorships for Nationwide

“This is a serious time for Americans,” Aman said. “People are worried about the economy, their jobs, and their retirement plans – so we didn’t want to make a joke. We felt like this was an opportunity to tell an honest story about a real family who has been with Nationwide for generations because they appreciate the service and value Nationwide provided. This family just happens to include some of the greatest race car drivers ever.”

In years past, Nationwide has featured celebrities like Kevin Federline and Fabio during the Super Bowl.

“We’ve had success in building buzz with Super Bowl ads in the past,” Aman said. “At this point in time, we’re focused on developing a deeper relationship with NASCAR’s very loyal fan base as the official provider of auto, home and life insurance and through this new partnership with JR Motorsports.”

Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash
Nationwide also introduced the ‘Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash’ that will add $25,000 to the winner’s purse at the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Nashville Superspeedway Kentucky Speedway,  Iowa Speedway and Memphis Motorsports Park. Drivers eligible for this competition include full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers and series regulars who are not full-time drivers on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. If a driver who is not eligible wins one of the races, prize money will be rolled over to the next race in the competition. The program also includes a $50,000 season-end bonus to the eligible driver with the highest points total over the four races.

“We wanted to provide some additional support for drivers on our series,” said Aman. “We also hope that these bonuses encourage competition and contribute to more exciting racing for the fans.”

ESPN ‘Driver Pick ’Em’ presented by Nationwide Insurance
The Nationwide ‘Driver Pick’ Em’ contest is an interactive weekly contest on ESPN.com. Fans can log-in weekly to select the winners of 10 head-to-head match-ups for each NASCAR Nationwide Series races. The contest will include cash prizes for weekly and season-long winners.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s most popular driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2008, JRM enjoyed a breakout season with four Nationwide Series victories between its two teams. The JR Motorsports facilities are based out of Mooresville, N.C., and include the JR Nation retail store, Dale Jr. Fan Experience, Hammerhead Entertainment, and DEJ Realty. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

About Nationwide:
Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world.  Nationwide ranks #108 on the Fortune 500 list.  The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, long-term savings plans and health and productivity services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Thank you to Hope Patterson, Nationwide Corporate Communications, for this information.