INDIANAPOLIS (April 30, 2004) – Coming off a successful opening race to the 2004 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford campaign and preparing for a May 21-23 event in Monterrey, Mexico that is on pace to break its record for ticket sales, the Champ Car World Series is starting to attract the attention of major national companies that wish to join in the racing action.
This week saw a pair of upcoming races sign new sponsorship deals, as events in Milwaukee and Cleveland announced new partnerships in mid-week press conferences.
The season’s only night race will take place on the weekend of June 3-5 at the venerable Milwaukee Mile, and will now be known as the Time Warner Cable Road Runner 250 after Wednesday’s announcement. The multi-year agreement was unveiled to the media on Wednesday with defending Milwaukee race winner Michel Jourdain Jr. (#9 Gigante Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) on hand to help make the announcement.
‘We are ecstatic to have Time Warner Cable and its Road Runner high-speed services join us for the much-anticipated return of Champ Cars racing ‘at the speed of night’,’ said Milwaukee Mile Vice-President and General Manager Mark Perrone. ‘This is a perfect match as the Champ Car drivers will be racing wheel-to-wheel at blurring speeds, while Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner service is all about performance and speed for its customers.’
The Cleveland event will welcome back long-time backer U.S. Bank as a presenting sponsor for the July 1-3 U.S. Bank Presents The Champ Car Grand Prix of Cleveland. The U.S. Bank announcement, marking the eighth time that the bank has been involved with the Cleveland race, came on a sunny Thursday in Cleveland’s Playhouse Square with Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell in attendance.
‘We are extremely happy to be renewing our partnership with U.S. Bank,’ said race General Manager Rena Shanaman. ‘Over the years, U.S. Bank has proven its commitment to both the City of Cleveland and the Grand Prix with its unwavering support.’
‘Rena and her great crew, Champ Car, U.S. Bank and everyone involved with running this event at Burke Lakefront Airport has done a great job in making this race as much a staple of a Cleveland summer as going out on Lake Erie or going to see an Indians game,’ said Mayor Campbell. ‘We are very pleased to be able to showcase our city to an international audience by hosting this event.’
In addition to the two Champ Car race sponsorships announced this week, Argent Mortgage also revealed that it would again be the presenting sponsor of the Toyota Atlantic event in Milwaukee. Argent Mortgage, which is the primary sponsor of the Team Rahal Toyota Atlantic entry of Danica Patrick, will sponsor the race now known as The Toyota Atlantic Series Presented by Argent Mortgage Company.
For more details contact:
Eric Mauk, Champ Car News Manager (317) 715-4133