Ganassi and NASCAR deliver win for new sponsor

UPDATE A reader writes, Dear AR1.com, Everything happens for a reason in NASCAR. New sponsors always get awarded a pole in NASCAR and sometimes, when they show great potential to become a bigger sponsor, they get awarded a race win as a thank you and enticement to do more. It's so transparent, so obvious. Mordechai Rosen, Los Angeles, CA

05/26/14 The recently signed partnership between Chip Ganassi Racing and Japanese motor oil brand ENEOS kicked off with a win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series History 300 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Driver Kyle Larson put his No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro in victory lane on Saturday. The race was the first of two this season that will see ENEOS as the primary sponsor of Larson’s car — the other one will be the Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 22. “We are excited because they are a Japanese company and Kyle is Japanese-American, and they are the first ones where we are able to try to use the relationship to promote that, and him, here and in Japan," said Steve Lauletta, president of Chip Ganassi Racing Teams.

The sponsorship deal with ENEOS is the team’s first with a Japanese company. Lauletta said that while most of the team’s partners are spread across all or a few of the racing series it is involved in, including a number of drivers, ENEOS was very keen on teaming up with Larson. “When we were talking to them and then started talking about Kyle … they got really excited about it," he said. “They were laser-focused on Kyle, and I think that natural connection there is something that could become a really powerful platform for them." Lauletta added that ENEOS has already developed plans to activate the association with Larson. However, he did not give any specific details how these plans will look. Chip Ganassi Racing hopes that this partnership is going to be the start to a lot more partnerships that come in the same way. HJ Mai/Sportsbusinessdaily.com