Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, and Kasey Kahne to Visit with Race Fans at PIR on November 12th!

Phoenix-area resident Danica Patrick – set to make her Phoenix International Raceway NASCAR debut during the upcoming Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend – will participate in a fan Q&A at PIR’s Budweiser ROLL-BAR stage on Nov. 12. The event will be open to all ticketed race fans, with a special section reserved for PIR season-ticket holders.

While Patrick – driver of the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – has raced Indy Cars at PIR, November will mark her stock car debut in the Valley of the Sun.

“I look forward to going back to Phoenix – it’s a place I thought was cool in an Indy Car,” she said. “It will be nice to sleep in my own bed. I’m excited for that. I think Phoenix is a great track. I think it’s challenging, and I’m sure it will be even more challenging in a stock car with less grip.”

Ryan Newman, winner of April’s SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600™ at PIR, and popular Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne will appear inside the Budweiser ROLL-BAR Club on Sunday, Nov. 14 as part of Q&A sessions available exclusively to ticket-holders for ROLL-BAR. Newman will appear at 9:30 a.m. and Kahne will appear at 10 a.m.  Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR are available for advance purchase at $89 for Nov. 13 and $139 for Nov. 14. Additional purchase of a grandstand ticket is still required for track admission.

On Saturday, Nov. 13, former motocross champion Ricky Carmichael – who will compete in PIR’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events this November – will appear in ROLL-BAR and PIR’s Octane Lounge at times to be announced. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and son Steve – a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver – are also slated to make a fan hospitality appearance that Saturday in PIR’s Trackside Club, time tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m.

More driver appearances for the Nov. 11-14 Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at PIR will be announced soon. This will include additional appearances at ROLL-BAR, as well as appearances in PIR’s Trackside Club and Octane Lounge. All appearances are subject to change.

Budweiser ROLL-BAR is PIR’s newest hospitality offering – located just behind the Bobby Allison Grandstands on the west side of the track. It features the best in live entertainment, all-inclusive food and drink tickets throughout the Kobalt Tools 500 NASCAR weekend and a custom beer garden area to showcase the No. 9 Budweiser car.

Located just 50 feet away from the track and overlooking PIR’s backstretch, Trackside Club delivers unmatched views of the racing action, and a breathtaking look at the scenery of the surrounding desert from the outdoor terrace. Catered meals, pre-race pit passes, VIP parking, and commemorative race tickets are just the start of the experience at Trackside Club.  Tickets for a full weekend package are $699.

Octane offers a full-service concierge and high-end dining items that include hand-carved meats, fresh pastas and a sushi bar. The three-day package is $2,400 per person for the November NASCAR weekend and includes unlimited food and beverage, wine tasting, and many other plush accommodations.

More driver appearances will be announced next week and updated information will be posted on PhoenixRaceway.com.

Tickets to Budweiser ROLL-BAR, Octane, and Trackside Club are available online at PhoenixRaceway.com, or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223).

Danica Patrick Scheduled To Run 12 Nationwide Races, Including PIR This Fall!

If you don’t already know it (which means you’ve been living under a rock), Danica Patrick is coming to NASCAR…whether you’re ready for her or not! Some believe that she’ll fail, some believe that she’ll succeed.

If there is one thing that is for certain, Danica is going to be incredibly popular and a huge marketing machine for the sport. Hence, the photo I chose to use for this post. How could you not market that? You got to admit, the woman is gorgeous. Furthermore, I don’t think that Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, or even our 4-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson could pull of that look!

Danica will drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and will enter at least 12 events during the 2010 season, including the Arizona 200 on Saturday, November 13 right here in Phoenix at PIR.

“I’m thrilled to announce our 2010 Nationwide Series schedule,” Patrick said in a statement released by JR Motorsports. “Like I’ve said before, we just want to be smart and calculative about this process. The tracks we’ve selected not only compliment the IndyCar schedule, but will give me quality seat time at a variety of facilities.”

Patrick’s schedule will begin with the February 20 race at Southern California’s Auto Club Speedway, followed by a February 27 appearance at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Following Las Vegas, Patrick will take a four-month hiatus to focus on her IndyCar Series responsibilities with Andretti Autosport before returning to NASCAR June 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The remainder of Patrick’s NASCAR schedule includes Nationwide races at Chicagoland Speedway (July 9), Michigan International Speedway (August 14), Dover International Speedway (September 25), Auto Club Speedway (October 9), Charlotte Motor Speedway (October 15), Gateway International Raceway (October 23), Texas Motor Speedway (November 6), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (November 20).

Patrick may enter the February 13 season opener at Daytona International Speedway, though that has not been determined.

Tickets for the November 13th Arizona 200 and all other events throughout the fall NASCAR weekend at Phoenix International Raceway will be on sale starting Thursday, April 8.

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.