NRA to sponsor NNS race; Nascar welcomes SapientNitro

03 July 2012 | Posted in Agencies, Sponsorship, Motorsport, North America | By Michael Long

The National Rifle Association (NRA), an American non-profit organisation, is to title sponsor the Nascar Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on 1st September.

The deal will see the event renamed the NRA American Warrior 300 after the NRA’s American Warrior magazine. Financial terms were not released, however sponsorship agreements of this stature are estimated to be worth around US$175,000.

“Atlanta Motor Speedway is proud to celebrate and honor America’s bravest and most respected fighting men and women,” said Atlanta Motor Speedway president and general manager Ed Clark. “Many shooting sports enthusiasts are also race fans, and this partnership will highlights those long standing relationships. We look forward to saluting those that protect and serve the United States.”

NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre added: “As Americans gather in the back yard for barbecues this Labor Day weekend and celebrate the upcoming school year, the return of hunting season and the worth ethic which makes America great, we wanted one race that focuses entirely on the life’s work of the American Warrior.”

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Meanwhile, Nascar has selected marketing and technology specialists SapientNitro to design and build its new digital platforms, including Nascar.com, the official website of the organisation, and other mobile and tablet offerings.

“Building our digital platform with a partner like SapientNitro is reflective of the strong commitment to offer our fans a best-in-class experience with Nascar.com and all of our digital platforms,” said Marc Jenkins, Nascar’s vice president of digital media. “The digital experience we’re developing will provide Nascar fans with the ultimate level of engagement while also providing the sport with the tools to attract the next generation of fans.”

SapientNitro already works with a host of other sports and entertainment clients, including WWE, Ladbrokes and 2012 NBA MVP LeBron James.

“Nascar appreciates that its target consumers are increasingly digitally centered, and sees a real strategic opportunity to evolve in a more connected fan experience – before, during and after events,” said Chris Davey, head of worldwide commerce at SapientNitro. “The proliferation of digital presents more compelling opportunities for Nascar to attract and engage with their consumers. We’re honored that Nascar has selected us to work alongside them in developing the sport’s new digital experience.”

Earlier this year, Nascar announced plans to bring its digital operations in-house from 2013 by assuming business and editorial control of its interactive, digital and social media rights, with Turner Sports continuing to oversee advertising and sponsorships sales across its digital platforms until 2016.