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Once Again!! When will the Indy Racing Sponsers start to promote the drivers in commercials and ads. Im tired of Danica unzipping for go daddy.

Why is Danica the only one that can do a commercial. Get with the program sponsers. If outa shape Tony Stewart can stand and stare at a car and promote snoozecab, why can't Dario run into Target for something or Helio and Justin race a Penski moving truck. Or maybe Ed Carpenter can make a pit stop at Menards for ducktape. Come on, whats the problem!!

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Permalink Reply by Gomer Fudgebucket on March 9, 2011 at 11:59pm

AGREE !!!!! Promote others that won't necessarily need to unzip.

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Permalink Reply by Paul on March 10, 2011 at 10:08am

Often wondered that myself. There are a few drivers that have good marketability for products in Indy. Got to give it to Dr. Bob Parsons, though. He does a super job of marketing Go Daddy. And we do know he takes care of his #1 girl. Some rumors in Nascar about Tony adding another Cup car. Wonder who the driver might be???????

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Permalink Reply by arnold d edgar on March 10, 2011 at 11:19am

i agree,even last year,people wre complaining about not being ablr to find racing stuff of the target drivers at target stores. how bad is that. are they embaressed or what. they need to get the faces of the drivers out there in front of people,as big a dork as micheal waltrip is,at least napa uses some air time to promote there brand,and there drivers. especially for the young up and commers,people outside of the circle may not have heard of them,splash it all over whatever,thats what the money is for ,besides paying the drivers salary.

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Permalink Reply by IndycarAddictus on March 10, 2011 at 10:18pm

The constant exposure of the nascar drivers in commercials and store displays/promotions helps to establish a connection with the fan base. This in turn helps attract those fans to the track and the tv channel. It is a highly symbiotic relationship that greatly benefits both sides.

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Permalink Reply by Iowa Guy on March 17, 2011 at 10:53am

Well said. This is what it's all about. I'm tired of NASCAR getting all the benefit of this. But you can only blame INDYCAR for not going after their share of the pie.

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Permalink Reply by Squall on March 11, 2011 at 1:08am

...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SexSells

...

Did major groups promote A.J., Mario, Al and Bobby, Johnny, or Rick, really? I mean, they may have done commercials, but did they ever actually try to GET THEM into "American consciousness"? Or were they simply accepted, outright as what they were: balls-to-the-walls automobile racing drivers, who were in the most dangerous sport there was?

I ask this, because I don't know if American open-wheel has EVER "sold" the public on its drivers; they just were, based on excellence of performance, and people took notice because of it. These days, look at the drivers that are marketed most: Danica and Helio. What is each most known for? With the POSSIBLE exception of Helio winning three 500s, "can he become the fourth to win four?"...for awhile he was "The Dancing Race Car Driver," via ABC. Danica? After the initial "First woman to lead at INDIANAPOLIS..." (sensing a pattern, about what place makes the big names, btw)...she became "Racing's Hot B/tch" (apologies if people are offended by such stark way of saying it; not apologetic for calling culture out on all of it). In each case, what information about their racing has really been conveyed? So little, it would basically be "they're race car drivers...but here's what YOU can know them for!"

Teach why motorsports, real motorsports, matters, not why sex or charisma catches the eye. At the end of the day, you might actually make a slight impact.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Karas on March 11, 2011 at 2:36am

Whatever happened with the entertaining Will Power (and some kid I don't know from NASCRAP) series of Verizon commercials from last season? We discussed them briefly on this site last year but never actually saw them air. Did anyone see them on tv? Check 'em out on You-tube. Truly believe they would have put Will Power on more of a path to recognition with the general public. This guy comes within half a race of the championship last season and only WE know who he is. Shame. If they did air last season in anyone's market, I'd love to know...

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Permalink Reply by IndycarAddictus on March 13, 2011 at 9:11am

The kid was justin allgaier. He was let loose at the end of the season by penske due to sponsorship issues with his teams in nascar. Allgaier now drives for Turner Motorsports in nationwide. Those commercials did air a fair number of times, but mostly during nascar races. Since Allgaier is not longer a verizon driver, they have been retired.

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Permalink Reply by Iowa Guy on March 17, 2011 at 10:52am

Hold on....(scrape, squeak)....while I.....(scrape).....drag out my soap box.

This is one my biggest pet peeves as well. I fail to see why more sponsors (such as Target with Dixon and Dario) do not take advantage of using their drivers for marketing. Where are the commercials with drivers? The magazine and online ads? The cardboard cutouts in stores? The driver faces on product packaging? The list goes on and on. While RB is busy addressing the many areas where INDYCAR needs to do this better, I hope this is on his "to do" list.

Although I understand that people may get tired of seeing Danica's face (or even more in the GoDaddy commercials), they have no doubt helped raised awareness of INDYCAR, and that's a good thing. Now if we can just get others in the act.....

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Permalink Reply by Iowa Guy on March 17, 2011 at 1:03pm

Hey, RR! Good to hear from a good posting friend. I'll plan to visit the Phoenix Inn soon. I trust the move from the other site went well for the place. I imagine some road closures were in order....