Menard to leave DEI for Yates Racing?
Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after this season and move to Yates Racing along with his sponsor, the Associated Press reports. Menard is 28th in the driver standings but this will carry some weight because some will see it as a sign of further decay at DEI (starting with Dale Jr.'s departure last year). With the economy the way it is, one has to wonder how this might slow companies from pursuing multi-million dolllar sponsorships or if it will cause them to reduce their investment in the sport. Thus, Menard and his father's company as sponsor, is a lift for Yates Racing, which also has relied on a patchwork of sponsors for Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland. Despite the sponsorship situation, which led some to wonder how long this team would last, it's around and while it might not be flourishing certainly deserves credit for lasting this long. That said, there's a lot of work ahead to turn this team into one that can reguarly compete for wins. Kvapil is 24th in the driver standings and Gilliland is 26th. They've combined for five top-10 finishes this season. (From HamptonRoads.com)
Valvoline to sponsor Kvapil at New Hampshire
Tags: yates racing
Yates Racing announced today that Valvoline, the leading innovator and supplier of quality, high-performing automotive products, will sponsor the No. 28 entry and driver Travis Kvapil for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 14th. Valvoline is a technical partner of Yates Racing as well as the primary sponsor on the No. 28 Ford for Sunday’s race. “This weekend is going to be fantastic for our team to showcase the partnership Yates Racing has with Valvoline,” commented Kvapil. “Valvoline is our official motor oil at Yates Racing and they have been providing Americans with the best motor oil and automotive products longer than any other motor oil company. We are fortunate enough to use their products, and I am honored to run the No. 28 Valvoline Ford Fusion at New Hampshire this weekend.” Kvapil has achieved three top-10 finishes and five top-15 finishes this season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series within the first 26 starts of the year and is currently 23rd in the driver point standings. (From TravisKvapil.com)
Comments (0)CHP to sponsor Kvapil at Infineon
The California Highway Patrol will sponsor Travis Kvapil and the No. 28 Yates Racing Ford Fusion in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway this weekend. The paint scheme will resemble the CHP cars that patrol the freeways of California.
FreeCreditReport.com to sponsor both Yates cars at Michigan and Chicagoland
Yates Racing announced today that Experian Consumer DirectSM, the leading provider of online direct-to-consumer credit reports, scores, and monitoring products, will sponsor the No. 28 entry and driver Travis Kvapil in addition to David Gilliland and the No. 38 entry in the upcoming Sprint Cup series races at Michigan International Speedway on June 15th and Chicagoland Speedway on July 12th. Both entries for Yates Racing will compete as the No. 28 and No. 38 FreeCreditReport.com Ford Fusions.
DISH Network to sponsor Kvapil at Pocono
Yates Racing announced that DISH Network, the nation’s second largest satellite TV provider and leader in the digital transition, will sponsor the No. 28 entry with driver Travis Kvapil for this weekend’s Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 8. “We are thrilled to have DISH Network as our sponsor this weekend at Pocono," stated Kvapil. “There is a lot of momentum and excitement right now at Yates Racing and we are honored that DISH Network wanted to participate in our program. We are always very grateful that companies recognize our increased performance both on and off the track this season and I’m looking forward to an exciting weekend at Pocono for our No. 28 DISH Network." (From TeamYatesRacing.com)
Lumber Liquidators to sponsor Kvapil in Coke 600
Lumber Liquidators, the largest specialty retailer of hardwood flooring in the United States, announced today that it will sponsor Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 28 Yates Racing Ford at the 2008 Coca-Cola 600. The May 25th race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway will mark the first primary sponsorship for Lumber Liquidators in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in 2008. "NASCAR fans are great supporters and customers of Lumber Liquidators, and we are always interested in opportunities with the Sprint Cup Series that support our successful history in the Craftsman Truck Series," said Tom Sullivan, founder and CEO of Lumber Liquidators. "Travis Kvapil is a great driver and Yates Racing is a formidable team with a championship in its past-we look forward to running up front at the Coca-Cola 600." (From TeamYatesRacing.com)
Comments (0)LaFayette Ford to sponsor Kvapil at Darlington
April 29, 2008 // Yates Racing announced today that LaFayette Ford, who sponsored the No. 28 with driver Fred Lorenzen from 1962-1967, will again sponsor the No. 28 entry but this time with driver Travis Kvapil for the Sprint Cup series race at Darlington Raceway on May 10th. Kvapil’s No. 28 will sport a paint scheme reminiscent to that of Fred Lorenzen’s during the 60’s when LaFayette Ford sponsored Lorenzen’s No. 28 machine.
"It’s really a neat idea that LaFayette Ford wanted to sponsor our No. 28 Ford for the race at Darlington," commented Kvapil. "The No. 28 has so much history associated with it that I’m honored to be a part of that legacy. Our paint scheme is a vintage scheme similar to the one Fred (Lorenzen) used to race and I think the car’s going to look great out on the track. I’m flattered that LaFayette Ford chose to sponsor our team at Darlington and I’m looking forward to the weekend."
"I’m thrilled to have this partnership with LaFayette Ford," commented car owner Doug Yates. "The No. 28 has a long history with great drivers such as Fred Lorenzen and now we’re carrying that tradition to Travis Kvapil. It’s great to see the retro paint scheme for the No. 28 Ford Fusion and it’s been wonderful to have the support of Ford dealers across the country, especially Don Price and LaFayette Ford. The fact that LaFayette Ford has such a storied history with NASCAR makes us extremely honored to be able to bring them back as a sponsor at Darlington, and it’s an effort that our whole organization is proud to be a part of." (From TeamYatesRacing.com)
Comments (1)Kvapil finally gets sponsorship from Ford at Phoenix
April 10, 2008 // DEARBORN, Mich. – This weekend, racing fans across the country will see and hear many of Ford Racing’s top stars talking about “Drive" Ford’s new and far-reaching message on improved vehicle quality, fuel economy, safety advances and smart technology.
Ford Racing cars will sport a variety of “Driv" logos starting with this weekend’s events at Phoenix, and NHRA's event at Las Vegas, highlighted by the No. 28 “Driv" Ford Fusion, driven by Yates Racing’s Travis Kvapil.
Yates Racing, which is still searching for a full-time sponsor for its cars, is helping Ford with the “Driv" launch by offering up Kvapil’s car, which will be seen by millions of viewers this weekend on SPEED and FOX.
“Yates Racing is honored to have the opportunity to run the ‘Drive one’ paint scheme on the No. 28 Ford Fusion this wee" said team owner Doug Yates. “We have a great driver in Travis, along with top-of-the-line equipment and technology courtesy of Ford.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have the chance to participate in the development of Ford cars and engines from the racing side and I can’t think of a better manufacturer to be affiliated " he said. “ ‘Drive one’ really shows consumers all the great strides Ford continues to make in an effort to provide the world with the best cars and trucks on the "
In addition to the primary sponsorship logos on the No. 28 Fusion this weekend, “Driv" logos will be featured on the b-pillar of each of Ford NASCAR Sprint Cup cars. In addition, in- car camera and roll cage shots will feature the new logos, and both Yates Racing and Wood Brothers Racing drivers and crew members will wear special “Driv" baseball caps.
In NHRA, both the John Force Racing Mustangs and the Tasca Racing Shelby Mustangs will feature “Driv" logos on their cars this weekend, and Force drivers Mike Neff and Robert Hight will both be outfitted with new “Driv" caps when they are out of the car.
Future plans include the inclusion of “Driv" logos on all the Mustang FR500S race cars in the new Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup series, the Mustang FR500C race cars that compete in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge series and the Ford-powered Grand Am Daytona Prototype cars. (From TeamYatesRacing.com)
Comments (2)Science of sponsors can be challenging
Great story from FoxSports.com about sponsorship problems, challanges and discussions with several teams. Sponsorship money has never been more important to NASCAR teams than it is today, and several cars (and teams) have found themselves without sponsors or only having sponsorship for a few races thoughout the seaon. The story documents the problems Yates Racing (among others) who are fielding two unsponsored entries into this weekend's race in Texas.
