1. IZOD announces multi-year sponsorship of Team Penske
2. Ganassi, Franchitti receive Autosport Awards
3. Crawford joins Jensen in management role
1. IZOD announces multi-year sponsorship of Team Penske:
In its three-year relationship with the IZOD IndyCar Series, officials with Philips-Van Heusen saw the success that Team Penske has built as one of the most successful team in IndyCar racing history.
So when the opportunity presented itself, the company jumped at a chance to sponsor Roger Penske's team.
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation and Team Penske announced Dec. 6 that they had entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement for PVH's IZOD brand, title sponsor of the IZOD IndyCar Series, to sponsor Team Penske and its drivers. The agreement begins with the 2011 season.
"It's really a coming together of two great corporations, best of class, we think," said Mike Kelly, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Phillips-Van Heusen. "Between our relative industries and the extended relationships that we bring to each other, us and the apparel and retail world, wholesale and retail world, the relationships we bring by association to Team Penske, and of course the great relationships that Roger (Penske) and Tim (Cindric) have built in their corporation, and Bud (Denker), with Verizon and Shell and the other great sponsors that are part of the team."
The IZOD brand will sponsor all three Team Penske Dallara/Honda entries - the No. 6 car driven by winning driver Ryan Briscoe, the No. 3 machine piloted by three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and the No. 12 car driven by 2010 series runner-up Will Power. The IZOD brand will be the primary sponsor on Briscoe's No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda at the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, as well as other selected IZOD IndyCar Series races, including the yet-to-be-announced season finale event. IZOD, the sport-inspired lifestyle apparel brand, will serve as an associate sponsor on all three Team Penske cars for the full season.
"Part of the IZOD brand's stated strategic approach to motorsports marketing is to partner with leading sponsors in the Series to further elevate the reach and awareness of the IndyCar sport and its brand," said Starke Taylor, Vice President Sponsorship and Activation for Phillips-Van Heusen.
The IZOD brand's first involvement with the sport came in July 2008, when it became the official apparel sponsor of the IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Firestone Indy Lights. In November 2009, the brand announced its title sponsorship of the newly re-named IZOD IndyCar Series. In 2010, the IZOD brand successfully partnered with IZOD IndyCar Series sponsors, including Honda, as part of the successful multi-media campaign around the "Fastest Seat in Sports," the program in which a custom-built, two-seat Honda led the field to the green flag at start of each of the races, starting with the Indianapolis 500.
"Team Penske is excited to build this new relationship with Phillips-Van Heusen," said Roger Penske. "As we saw in 2010, they have put the full strength of their IZOD brand behind growing the sport of IndyCar racing and we believe they will be a terrific partner with our team and our drivers for years to come."
As IZOD Indy Car Series title sponsor, the IZOD brand hosted a number of high-profile events, including a series of exhibits titled "In Pursuit of FAST: 100 Years of Indy Racing, Fashion and Design" held at Macy's throughout the country and parties integrating celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Diddy, Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Renner, Kim Kardashian, Greg Kinnear, and Mario Lopez, and music, including Dave Navarro and his band Camp Freddy, to drive visibility of the Series within pop culture and mainstream audiences. Events were hosted in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Toronto and Indianapolis during the 2010 season and served to expand the sport to new fans and revive interest in fans from the past. The IZOD brand and the IZOD Indy Car Series were also featured in the "Race to the Party" advertising campaign.
Team Penske is the winningest team in the history of North American open-wheel racing. The team has produced 153 race wins, 196 pole positions, 12 national championships and 15 Indianapolis 500 victories in IndyCar competition.
"I'll tell you, it's an amazing feeling to be representing IZOD in 2011," said Briscoe, who has earned six wins and 10 poles over the last three seasons competing for Team Penske. " It's great feeling to be coming back with Team Penske. IZOD's an amazing brand. They have such passion for the series and are really taking the IndyCar Series to a new level. And it really is a great feeling to be a part of that.
"I want to help with that momentum. I'm really fired up for next year. I feel really good going into a new phase and with a whole lot of drive and determination. I'm really fired up to have a good year. And especially flying the IZOD colors, at the Indy 500, the Centennial race, I feel like it's my time and I just can't wait for the new year to come around."
2. Ganassi, Franchitti receive Autosport Awards: The accomplishments of Chip Ganassi's U.S. motorsports teams this year continue to be recognized.
On Dec. 5, the team owner was presented with the John Bolster Award at the annual Autosport Awards in London. The award is named in honor of the magazine's first technical editor.
Additionally, Dario Franchitti, who won his second consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series championship and second Indianapolis 500, received the British Competition Driver of the Year award.
Ganassi Racing cars/drivers won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400. As well, he claimed the IZOD IndyCar Series championship with Franchitti and the Grand Am Rolex Series title.
"I'm not sure we ever thought about winning all three races in the same year," Ganassi said in his acceptance speech. "It's a record that someone will try to break some day and I'm sure they will. Just not too soon, though."
Target Chip Ganassi Racing won four consecutive CART championships from 1996-99, and the team continued its success when it moved to the Indy Racing League in 2003 (Scott Dixon won the title that year). It has won the past four series championships between Dixon (2008) and Franchitti (2007, '09, '10).
Franchitti overcame the points advantage of Team Penske's Will Power in the season finale to claim the series title. He also won the inaugural A.J. Foyt Oval Championship award by totaling the most points in seven oval races during the season.
"It's a great feeling," said Franchitti, of Scotland. "It's good to come home and celebrate, to see my friends, colleagues and heroes. I have 75 people in Indianapolis (at the Target Chip Ganassi Racing IZOD IndyCar Series headquarters).
"It's great to have Chip Ganassi here, too. It didn't start off too well with Chip in NASCAR (2007). Chip was good enough to invite me to come back to drive in IndyCar, though. I hope I can keep racing for him for a long time to come. I'm more passionate about racing than I ever have been before."
3. Crawford joins Jensen in management role: Michael Crawford, a fixture in the Firestone Indy Lights paddock since 2002, has joined series newcomer Jensen MotorSport asTeam Manager - Indy Lights.
Crawford, who owned and operated his own Firestone Indy Lights team - Michael Crawford Motorsports - from 2006 through 2010, adds valuable experience to Jensen MotorSport's Firestone Indy Lights entry.
Crawford was also Team Manager at Sam Schmidt Motorsports for the 2002-2005 seasons, which included winning the 2004 Firestone Indy Lights championship with driver Thiago Medeiros.
"The prospect for success in Indy Lights has been enhanced substantially with news that Michael Crawford will have an active management role in our team," Jensen MotorSport team owner Eric Jensen said. "Michael has vast experience and respect in the Indy Lights paddock, and I am honored that he is joining our team."
Crawford worked on Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's IndyCar program from 1995-97. Crawford also had management positions on IndyCar programs for Kelley Racing (1998-99) and PDM Racing (2000-02).
"Jensen MotorSport appears to have one of the best programs for the upcoming Firestone Indy Lights season," Crawford sad. "It's exciting to have a management role to activate the team's plans for this year, and for future IndyCar programs."
