Sponsor Digest

A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport’s Team Malaysia agreed a deal with Sime Darby Berhad as a new sponsor of the team for this weekend’s home event at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur.

11/22/07 - The Sime Darby group is a leading Malaysian multinational and one of Southeast Asia's largest conglomerates. Under the deal, Sime Darby branding and logos will be shown on the A1 Team Malaysia car and driver suits

Jack Cunningham, Chief Executive, A1GP Team Malaysia, said: "We are very proud to announce Sime Darby as a new sponsor to the Malaysian team. We believe we can offer Sime Darby a valuable business opportunity to promote the Sime Darby brand across the globe, showcasing Sime Darby through our on-track activities and the major promotions that we have developed around the team and its participation in the A1GP Series."

Superleague Formula, the motor racing championship featuring football club brands, has announced a new round of financing

New investors in the championship include Spanish venture capital company Clave Mayor as well as additional private investors from the Asian region.

"The money raised is being spent on the production of the cars and execution of the operational plan for delivery of the championship will debut in August next year with an initial series of six races staged in Europe,” said Superleague Formula CEO and president, Alex Andreu .

"We are now in the final phase of fund raising that will be closed by the end of November. Interest in the Superleague Formula concept has been extremely strong by investors, football clubs, motor racing teams, circuits, television networks and the media.

"The initial response from our recent club launches has shown outstanding enthusiasm for the concept from football fans."

Leading international football clubs AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund, RSC Anderlecht and Flamengo have already licensed their brand to the Barcelona-based organisers. Planning is already underway to launch a further five clubs in the next two months.

The championship expects feature at least 20 leading clubs in the new series that will use single-seater racing cars built by US manufacturer, Elan Motorsports Technologies. The new engine has been purpose-built for the championship by UK manufacturer, Menard Competition Technologies.

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) has been named Title Sponsor for the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in Singapore, which will now officially be known as the ‘2008 FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix’

The 2008 Singapore Grand Prix will be the first F1 street race in Asia and will be one of three races in the 2008 Formula One calendar to run anticlockwise.

“Asia's leading telecommunications company, SingTel, has a strong brand as well as a powerful regional and international presence,” said Ong Beng Seng of Singapore GP Pte Ltd. “These strengths make SingTel the perfect strategic partner and the ideal title sponsor for the Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. We look forward to working together on a wide range of high-profile activities as we prepare for race day and what promises to be one of the highlights of next year’s calendar.”

SingTel employs more than 19,000 people worldwide and had a turnover of S$13.15 billion ($8.40 billion) and net profit after tax of S$3.78 billion ($2.42 billion) for the year ended 31 March 2007.

Turn Left Energy Drink Targets NASCAR Crowd

11/14/0707 - Keeping with the popularity of energy drinks, Colorado-based DC Brands International has launched Turn Left, a new energy drink targeted to NASCAR fans-"it's liquid horsepower!," the company says.

Turn Left is described as having a crisp, clean flavor with no harsh aftertaste. The company claims in seven out of 10 taste tests, Turn Left won over other popular brands such as Red Bull and Monster.

"In studying the marketplace, no one had yet addressed NASCAR fans as individuals," says Richard Pearce, president and CEO of DC Brands. "The nature of NASCAR is all-American. It appeals to men and women who appreciate an adrenaline rush. This perfectly matches the ideals we set forth in creating Turn Left and further expands the traditional energy drink demographic."

Following its first brand, Dickens Energy Cider, DC Brands, a publicly traded company that launched in 1998, chose to expand its product line with a beverage that filled the NASCAR niche. With more than 75 million fans, the NASCAR demographic presented an opportunity for a race car themed energy drink in the marketplace.

DC Brands has focused on selling Turn Left to off-premise locations such as large grocery store chains, convenience stores, mass merchandisers and others, notes the company. Turn Left can be found in more than 1,000 stores in nine states with expansion internationally slated in the near future. At the recent shareholder meeting, the company announced new distribution in China and India with other prospects soon to close.

"In addition to having a quality beverage, we round out our products with three key elements: attention-grabbing packaging, distinctive promotions and competitive pricing," says DC Brands executive vice president Richard Muscarella. "We get it--it's more than what's on the inside that matters. DC Brands prides itself on creating bold, eye-catching packaging, exciting promotions that create value for both the consumer and retailer, and reasonably-priced drinks affordable to a wide consumer cross-section."

To reach its core NASCAR audience, DC Brands enacted two promotions for Turn Left: a monthly contest to win two tickets to high-profile NASCAR races around the country and a sweepstakes for a new Corvette. In order to win, consumers register at www.turnleftenergy.com and enter a serial/verification number and poker hand found on entry tickets. These tickets are enclosed with a four-pack of the product or obtained by sending in a postcard to DC Brands. After entering the numbers in the Turn Left Poker Slot Machine, players start accruing Turn Left chips that can be used toward purchasing branded merchandise and entering them to win the NASCAR tickets and the Corvette.

DC Brands has given away tickets to the Daytona 500; Goody's Cool 500 in Martinsville, Va., USA and Aaron's 499 in Talladega, Ala., USA Winners receive two tickets to the NASCAR race with premium seating, round trip airfare and hotel accommodations. The Turn Left-branded Corvette also will be given away after the 2008 Daytona 500.

Additionally, Turn Left is the title sponsor of "Race Central" TV and radio hosted by Kurt Hansen, a former Winged Midgets and Champ Car Atlantic racecar driver. "Race Central" is broadcast nationally and covers the world of motor sports and focuses on NASCAR, Champ Car, the Indy Racing League, Formula 1, World of Outlaws dirt track racing and World Rally Championship.

DigitalRodeo.com sponsors American Le Mans privateer

10/31/2007 - DigitalRodeo.com has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement with American Le Mans' privateer, Intersport Racing.

"We are thrilled to announce our sponsorship with the American Le Mans' racing series,” said DigitalRodeo.com founder Tim Juravich. “Their competitive emphasis on teamwork is exemplary of how the Digital Rodeo team works and we are proud to be associated with that."

The American Le Mans series includes participation from motorsports teams like Penske, Rahal, and Andretti and manufacturers including Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and Porsche.

American Le Mans is broadcast on CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and The Speed Channel among other national television outlet.

Singapore to build motorsports track

The Singapore Government aims to build the city state’s motor sports industry by working with the private sector to build a permanent race track.

A ‘Request for Proposal’ for the permanent racetrack with a tenure of 30 years, is expected to go out in May 2008. The racetrack is expected to be completed by end 2010 or early 2011.

“The government has identified the motor sports industry as a growth industry that will contribute to sports development and the economy in Singapore," said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. ”In our discussions with the private sector, industry players shared that the development of a permanent racetrack is critical for us to develop a comprehensive motor sports industry.”

The project will be fully funded by the private sector.

Isle of Man TT earns $96 million for local economy

10/30/2007 - The economic impact of the year’s Centenary Isle of Man TT races to the Isle of Man economy was £48 million, according to the island’s Tourism and Leisure department.

The event attracted 60,000 visitors, 23 per cent of which were first time visitors, the research said. Around 82 per cent of the visitors were male with 74 per cent under 50 and 20 per cent under 35.

Adrian Earnshaw, Minister for Tourism and Leisure said: “I am delighted with what has been achieved in 2007 and look forward to seeing more new teams, high profile riders lining up in 2008. The TT is very much on the up and we are working with our partners and the motorcycle industry to successfully launch the event into its second century in June.”

In an effort to attract younger race fans, the Department of Tourism and Leisure has begun an advertising campaign featuring the ‘TT Young Guns’, including up and coming Isle of Man rider Conor Cummins.

FLUGE GLOBAL ADVENTURES BEGINS ASSAULT ON ROSE CUP,
LAS VEGAS, MT. KILIMANJARO AND MT. EVEREST

Executive Trades Cell Phone for Racing Helmet, Hiking Boots and a Deck of Cards

Portland, Ore. – May 25, 2007 - What has to be one of the most unique adventure Web sites has been operational for five months at www.flugeglobaladventures.com. Nick Fluge, a Portland-based businessman turned adventurer has not only decided to share his world adventures (auto racing, mountain climbing, professional poker, cross country rallying, and more) but also invites visitors to share their travels on his Web site.

To encourage participation, a package of free vacations and iPods are being awarded to those posting the best adventures displaying the Fluge Global Adventure logo. Decals and gear are available by contacting info@sponsorpr.com. The contest closes on June 15. Adventure pictures posted by contributors thus far include regional and international travel, auto racing, mountain climbing, roller derby, off road ATV, rock n’ roll, acting on stage, fishing, wine making, and boating to name a few.

“I want to challenge the hidden adventurer that resides within everyone so they will take those first steps, no matter how small,” Fluge explained. “ I want to encourage others in the world to create their own adventures, whether it be meeting someone new in a coffee shop, learning how to play the guitar, driving a race car, or climbing Mt. Everest."

In 2006, Fluge’s journey through life took new turns, leading him not only into the realm of serious eCommerce development but also finding him racing 500+ horsepower super-cars and playing next to Las Vegas card sharks at the Las Vegas World Series of Poker.

For 2007, Fluge has custom designed a series of events and adventures sure to please anyone wishing to rekindle their relationship with adrenaline and excitement.

These include a 19,000 foot summit run at Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, a 3,000-mile cross country road race in The Great American Run, a very serious hike to the Base Camp at Mt. Everest in Nepal, a full scale onslaught on the World Series of Poker, and high octane adventures in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) behind the wheel of Corvette super cars.

His SCCA auto racing adventure is in full swing, with Fluge leading the championship point standings for the year in the ITE class with his Chevrolet Corvette. Next up are the annual Rose Cup Races at Portland International Raceway (PIR) on June 1-3. Fluge is leading a three-car team in pursuit of winning the two featured races: the Rose Cup on Sunday and the Festival Trophy race on Saturday. His final race of the year will be the June 30-July1 Pro Drive Regionals at PIR.

Fluge then moves on to Las Vegas to play in three World Series of Poker Events (WSOP) on June 9, June 20 and in the Main Event on July 8.

What follows is a two-car assault on the world’s largest car rally, the Great American Run, from July 29-Aug 2. After crossing the United States he is on to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro from August 14-30, and later to the Mt. Everest Base Camp Oct 6-30.

“At the end of the year I intend to look back on my adventures and those shared by our contributors and see what worked, what didn’t, what we learned, and what we shared,” Fluge said. “More importantly, I hope we will not only have enriched our lives, but the lives of others by reaching out to embrace new challenges.”

Fluge appears Saturday on a local radio program, “The Fuel Show” on AM970 Solid State Radio, May 26 between 9:30 and 9:45 a.m., to discuss his global adventures and plans for the year.

About Nick Fluge

Fluge holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Portland State University. In 1999 he completed Management Programs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and followed in 2000 with continued studies at Harvard University in Internet Technology. In 2001, he completed the “eBusiness: Models and Applications for eCommerce” certificate program at The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania.

In 1999, Fluge was pivotal in securing CEC’s exclusive partnership with the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu brand from Paris France. He was integral in the development of CEC’s culinary division, helping it to become the world’s largest provider of culinary arts education. Fluge served on the Executive Board of the Le Cordon Bleu Schools, North America, until December of 2006.

In 2001, Fluge launched CEC’s Online Education Group, which provides a unique online education to over 25,000 students annually from every state in the U.S. and 50 countries abroad. At the time of his departure in 2005, the group generated over $650,000,000 in revenue. The Online Education Group has been recognized for its leadership in non-linear, multi-media courseware, proprietary course platforms, a comprehensive virtual campus, a virtual lead management system and other software all developed in house. One of the groups’ online universities also participated in the prestigious U.S. Department of Education Demonstration Program from 2002 – 2005.

Nick Fluge was the Chief Visionary of Innovative Online development for JDV Online, a vibrant Internet marketplace for lifestyle sites and digital marketplaces until December 2006. In 2005, Chefs.com was born providing culinary insight via podcasts, recipes, and historical information to an enthusiastic audience that grew to over 2 million unique visitors by December 2005. Then, in February 2006, Fluge helped launch Blish.com, a digital marketplace bringing together buyers and sellers. Blish became connected with the 2.0 community when Boris Karadogan, partner at ComVentures, recognized its potential and cited it as a prime example of Web 2.0 eCommerce. It was later immortalized in Stabilo Boss’ Web 2.0 Collage. The Fluge Global Adventures Web site can be found at www.flugeglobaladventures.com.

Media Contact: Randy Unsbee, ABC
Sponsor PR & Marketing
503-544-5944
info@sponsorpr.com