mike honcho
Knuckleheads
State Water Heaters alters approach to stay in NASCAR: State Water Heaters, a NASCAR team sponsor since 2006, went into this season wanting to maintain the benefits of its marketing and hospitality program while trimming expenses. After visiting just about every NASCAR team as a free agent, State went in a markedly different direction. It decided to sponsor no one at all. Instead of spending the $5 million to $7 million a year for a low-level, often noncompetitive car, as it had done before, State opted for a unique program conceived by North Carolina-based 919 Marketing with former driver Ward Burton. It's a plan that has allowed State to keep its vibrant hospitality program at the track despite axing the costly sponsorship. Burton, a five-time winner and one of the sport's elite drivers from 1999 to 2002, essentially serves as State's NASCAR ambassador for anywhere from 30 to 100 of the company's guests on race day at a Sprint Cup event. He guides them on pit and garage tours, explains the race to guests in a suite and even talks sales on State's behalf. Until this year, State Water Heaters was known in NASCAR circles as a loyal sponsor of teams such as [#4 Chevy] Morgan-McClure Motorsports and [#66 Chevy] Haas CNC Racing. Burton enables State to deliver that race-day experience at the track with a noted driver, even though State's white, blue and orange car no longer competes. State wouldn't say how much State will save this year, but the company is not writing a hefty sponsorship check and it will be entertaining at about 10 races this year instead of 36, so the savings will be in the millions. In addition to the race-day activities, State puts on driving and ride-along excursions. During one such event on April 18 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Burton took State guests on trips around the track at 160 mph, using cars from the Richard Petty Driving Experience.(SportsBusiness Journal)(5-5-2009)
