Welcome to the Funcar
That’s right folks.
Black Warrior Technology has become an official member of the Microsoft Small Business Racing Team.
Which means The Arrowhead of Awesomeness can officially appear on the #00 Toyota Camry driven by Michael McDowell for Michael Waltrip Racing.
Why?
Because there is no type of sport that does more for its sponsors than racing/motorsports. And the motorsport that does more for its sponsors than anyone else?
NASCAR, without question.
Every NASCAR driver receives special media training, and is fully briefed on sponsors. Which totally rocks. Think about other professional sports. How many times have you heard any kind of ball/hockey/soccer/what-have-you player talk about a sponsor before, during, or after the event? Not at all. But NASCAR drivers, owners, and crew members constantly thank their primary sponsors by name whenever the cameras are running.
Why?
Because the teams know that without sponsorship, they have no rides. Without rides, they basically have no team. Which is why having your logo riding around right beside the numbers on a car during a NASCAR race totally rocks.
Not only that, but NASCAR fans are some of the most rabid fans anywhere. They are fiercely loyal to drivers, teams, manufacturers, and sponsors.
Why?
Because everything that goes into the creation of the grand carnival that is NASCAR matters to them. They’re no different in that regard than superfans of any sport anywhere. But the loyalty that fans of other sports have is pretty much limited to teams and players. OK…sure, there are bat, ball, glove and sportswear manufacturers who benefit in other sports. But only because they are directly associated with the activity of that given sport.
NASCAR is different in that they offer nearly any company from nearly any industry the ability to sponsor a team.
Why?
Because NASCAR also knows that sponsors also bring their own fans, typically greenfield type of fans, who have never been to or watched a race before in their life.
And, to be honest…
The attitude of NASCAR appeals to me. NASCAR races are preceded with a prayer, a singing of our national anthem and presentation of our flag, replete with a flyover of some kind of military aircraft normally timed to roughly coincide with the “la-and of the Freeeee!” crescendo.
Not only does the respect for God and country mean something to me, but the fact that NASCAR works hard to be a family-friendly sports matters VERY MUCH to me. It’s important to me that The Arrowhead of Awesomeness won’t be shown next to the Playboy, Penthouse or some other porn empire’s logo. Let alone plastered on the backside of some Vivid Video starlet.
Thanks to Microsoft and its amazingly awesome Small Business Specialist sponsorship program they entered into with MWR, the price point for all this is an astonishingly low price. $4K? That’s chickenfeed for the kind of exposure you are getting.
So the question you should be asking yourself shouldn’t be…
Why?
The question you should ask yourself should be…
Why Not?
And the only question I still have for myself is…
Why Didn’t I Do This Sooner?
|| posted by chris under biz, hardware, media, more cowbell, motorsports, thumbs up || || ||
Hi Chris,
Pretty cool, dude. Can’t wait to see this in real life.
Regards,
Allen
comment by Allen Miller — July 12, 2008 @ 8:56 pm
$4K? That will buy them about 2 sets of tires.
comment by David — July 14, 2008 @ 1:48 pm
Redneck!!!
comment by Mark Crall — July 15, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
Oh Mark you’re just jealou scause Chris beat you to it
comment by Elisabeth — July 16, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
Dam you Chris. I’m jealous too
Does this mean you get your photo with the racing babes that are part of the gig
I can see RA’s face know. You better be able to run faster than the wind my friend 
comment by Elisabeth — July 16, 2008 @ 6:46 pm
@ Elisabeth…
You obviously never saw my picture with Milka Duno, before she went to the IRL.
comment by chris — July 16, 2008 @ 7:44 pm
Hail to the King, baby!
comment by Tim Barrett — July 18, 2008 @ 1:23 pm
On Redmond in July…
Be warned, this is a long post. But the payoff at the end may well be worth the read. This past week…
trackback by OnQ — July 19, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
[…] It would be nice but it just doesn’t happen. Kind of like putting a new driver in the fastest NASCAR car on the track and expecting them to win (let alone finish in one piece). The subtle […]
pingback by SBSC & MSP Buzz » Blog Archive » From Level Platforms to Zenith — September 3, 2008 @ 8:24 am