Sam Schmidt Motorsports Retains Comcast-Spectacor

Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM), one of the most-respected and well-known brands in INDYCAR, announced today that it has retained Front Row Marketing Services (FRMS) to market and sell the team’s commercial rights. FRMS, a subsidiary of the sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor, evaluates and develops incremental revenue streams for sport and entertainment properties internationally. The partnership with SSM marks the first racing team client for FRMS and extends its reach into motorsports.

“We are very pleased to begin working immediately with Front Row Marketing Services, a company that shares our vision to not only be the best brand in racing, but also the best brand in the business of sports" said Sam Schmidt, team owner. “INDYCAR has made solid strides in the last few years and we know that our brand is positioned to grow well beyond our past success. The assistance and expertise FRMS can provide us will be essential to make that next step."

“The success of SSM on the track is crystal-clear, multiple Indy Lights Championships, 46 victories, starting pole at the biggest global event in Motorsports – the Indy 500. Sam and his team by every measure are growing and have delivered to their corporate sponsor/partners. We are delighted to welcome them to the Front Row Marketing and Front Row Analytics company and are looking forward to helping expose them to an even wider circle of brand partners going forward," said Chris Lencheski, President of Front Row Marketing Services.

Schmidt's Firestone Indy Lights Series program has been one of the most successful in the series' recent history, winning the 2004 championship with Thiago Medeiros, the 2006 title with Jay Howard, the 2007 title with Alex Lloyd, the 2010 title with J. K. Vernay, and repeating in 2011 with Josef Newgarden. For 2012, SSM begins a new era in INDYCAR competing full time with Simon Pagenaud.

With headquarters in Philadelphia, FRMS specializes in commercial rights sales with a focus on sponsorships, advertising, and hospitality. Front Row Analytics, a division of FRMS, specializes in asset analysis and consulting. The company’s footprint in the racing industry includes previously have completed consulting and selling on the title sponsorship of NASCAR’s 5-hour ENERGY® 500 at the Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pennsylvania); sponsorship analysis of Pocono Raceway, Dover International Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Memphis International Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway; and sales at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (Millville, New Jersey).

Recently, FRMS has also experienced success after being involved in the sale of several naming rights partnerships including XFINITY Live! Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Investors Group Field (Winnipeg, Manitoba).