IZOD’s rideless driver

UPDATE Ryan Hunter-Reay is currently without a ride for the upcoming IndyCar Series, but that might not be for long. The winner of last year's race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International said he is talking with two existing teams, including one of his former teams, HVM Racing. Hunter-Reay said the other is not Rahal Letterman Racing. Meetings are planned for later this week and next.

"Nothing is imminent," he said today. "But it seems like progress." IndyStar

Ryan Hunter-Reay winning last year at Watkins Glen

Gail Miller/AR1.com

03/10/09 IZOD is poised to launch one of the largest advertising and promotional campaigns in the Indy Racing League's 14-year history.

Beginning in a few weeks there will be a national television spot, promo trailers in movie theaters, ads in major magazines and newspapers and in-store promotions at Macy's stores across the country that will also include a special Indy 500 clothing line.

It's estimated several million dollars in media value has been budgeted for this project. But there is a little snag in clothing line's plan to take Indy-car racing to the mainstream. No, make that a big snag. The guy they put all the promotion behind, the guy in the TV commercial, the guy in the print ads and the guy on the 90-foot billboard in Times Square doesn't have a ride for the 2009 season.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, signed last summer as the face of the IRL for IZOD, is still unemployed 25 days before the season opener at St. Petersburg.

"I'm told that I don't have to worry, although I don't know what that means yet," said Mike Kelly, the president of marketing for Phillip Van Husen, the parent company of IZOD.

I do know we will have a significant problem if Ryan is not in a car." More at SPEEDTV.com