Sponsorship push starting to pay off for Indy Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway executives say they are beginning to see the results of two years of work developing new categories and pitching new sponsors.

The track, which last week began the annual month of May festivities that culminate with the Indianapolis 500, added more than 20 new sponsors and upsold seven existing sponsors in the first quarter of this year. It generated $3 million in new and incremental revenue from sponsorships and is on track to increase total sponsorship revenue by 9 percent for the second consecutive year.

“We’re reaping the fruit from what we planted the last 18 months to two years," said Mike Redlick, IMS’s chief sales and marketing officer. “We’re getting out of the garage and going after more traditional sports marketing partners."

The sales success has been driven in large part by landing sponsors in categories that went unsold in years past. The track signed Hardee’s to become its first quick-service restaurant sponsor in at least five years. It also closed deals with Great Clips, Caterpillar and the National Guard.

New Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sponsors

Abbott Laboratories (health care)
Allied Solutions (insurance)
Brand Affinity Technologies/Fantapper (photography)
Bear Data Solutions (technology)
Blue Renewable Energy/SunWize (solar)
Bluegreen Resorts (vacation/resorts)
BMG (staging/event production)
Caterpillar (construction/industrial)
Citizens Energy Group (water/energy)
Gladiator GarageWorks (household/home improvement product)
Global Tower Partners (DAS/telecom hardware)
Great Clips (retail/personal grooming)
Growth Energy (ethanol fuel)
Hardee’s (quick-service restaurant)
K&N Filters (auto specialty)
Keihin (auto specialty)
National Guard (armed forces)
Old National Bank/Insurance (banking/financial)
Plantronics (technology)
Ray’s Trash Service (waste management/recycling)
SMS Audio (electronics)
Sunoco (fuel)
The Jackson Group (printing)

Source: Indianapolis Motor Speedway