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Indycar Sponsorship Program Collective. Who might be driving? Paul Tracy.

By davidkovach ( 4 )

Next Indycar race Saturday August 9th, 2008:




Note: this campaign is not officially tied to Walker Racing, Paul Tracy, Tony George or anyone/anything tied directly to Indycar or the Indy Racing League.


In memory of Robert (Bob) Bexon for everything he did for motorsports and everything he contributed to the sport.




We all know the story of the real Thrill From Westhill:


He was on a beach in San Diego a few weeks ago when, said Tracy, Walker called again and told him, “I think we got something for Edmonton, are you available?”

Maybe.

“I had many journalists that I’m friends with say, ’Don’t do this, it’s going to be a bad deal. You’re going to be set up to look bad. They’re only using you to sell tickets.”‘

He called Walker. Would he get a fair shot?

“Look,” he recalled Walker telling him. "I’m going to give you the best, everything I got, to make us look good this weekend. So just believe in me."

He did and events moved quickly.

Walker borrowed a third car from Vision Racing and crewed it with his own staff. Subway came on board as the main sponsor and they were off to the races.

Tracy roared back from a commitment in England to Indianapolis, met his crew and got fitted for a seat.


And, he took that seat to a 4th place finish at Edmonton on July 26th in the best run of the season by any driver!


Dear fellow potential investors,


So, for me, it is the love of this sport. It is the uniqueness, the speed, the overall flavor that makes Indycar racing like no other form of sport or entertainment in the world. Yet, no matter how frustrating it is to watch (especially this year) or call yourself “a fan” I always come back again and again, year after year, to take part or play my little part (as a fan) in the greatest spectacle of all sports – our beloved, Indycar racing.


This is a serious attempt to:


1) Do the unthinkable … build a real sponsorship program and institute the first “powered by a collective” primary Indycar sponsorship ever!


2) Get off the sidelines … for each of us in a major way and contribute to being part of building a sponsorship program and marketable entity to then support an Indycar program in whole or in part.


3) Deliver the goods … with said support (driven by each of us through this campaign) make this happen for a suitable driver such as Paul Tracy, should he remain on the sidelines. As an organized entity, we would be free to support the most appropriate driver. At this time, we are focused on securing Paul Tracy as the driver tied to this sponsorship.


Many of us talk and scream and cry weekly about this sport and what has been going on (or not going on). And, I think Edmonton proved a great deal this weekend about what it takes to be successful in this sport and in life.


But, one thing I know is that if we sit and hope, Paul Tracy (and other top drivers) might be right back on his couch back in Las Vegas.


Do we really owe this to Paul? Well, maybe not. He has had a spirited career to say the least. But, you know what? My parents took me to the Toronto CART race back around ‘89 or ’90 and I still remember really only one sight. It was Paul Tracy zipping around in an Indy Lights car like no other driver I had ever seen. It was astonishing to me, his clear ability to pitch a car around a street course like no other. I think he won that weekend. Didn’t he win the Indy Lights championship that year? Wow. From there, we all know his story, and the stories we will tell our children of Paul Tracy.


And he can win again. That is – if we step up to the plate here and now in a way that for many of us (when you do the math it really is a no-brainer) is small potatoes. He can win in a “crapwagon” no doubt, cause certainly pitching the car around like a big-toy, is what these cars need to go fast… they require pure momentum to get them going. Paul has the natural ability to… heck, he could win a race this season!!


I propose the following investment tiers (revised:7/31/08) to simplify things:


Level 1 Business Investor Level = $1000

Level 2 Associate Investor Level = $250

Level 3 SpeedTV Journalist Level = $100

Level 4 Let me into the hospitality tent Level = $50

Level 5 Chrome Horn Endorsement Level = $35

Level 6 “Gerry Forsythe” Honorary Level = $10

You are obviously open to make any sized investment (it will all add up!) you are capable of making big or small.


The sponsorship program goal is not a random figure. Final budgets are to be determined.


The above tiers will hopefully be used to return something back to each of those that invest appropriately.


This is very simple:

500 supporters @ $250 = $125,000


Let’s do it folks. I know you are each out there. I know we can do this.


Sincerely and officially yours,


David Kovach



I can be contacted directly at:


David Kovach
david@121direct.biz
“The Chrome Horn Sponsorship Coordinator”
cell 919-636-3468 (EST)
:-)


Note about donations: Either we will meet full or partial sponsorship goals or your investment will be returned to you. You can email or call me and I am obviously putting my name on the line here and I hope to meet you each! If you need your investment returned to you, please call or email me.

My business 121direct.biz is an officially registered Delaware based corporation.

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Launched Sunday, July 27, 2008
Modified Monday, February 08, 2010
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Comments (15)

davidkovach said:

7/27/08


Hi everyone, if you do not have PAYPAL (btw, which protects your contribution with various levels of security) you can email me your proposed contribution amount and name and I will keep a tally of that here in this comments area in addition to the official donation counter above.


all the best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/28/08


I am having to get a 2nd paypal account to donate to this campaign I started at 4:30am this morning.


I am in for $1000.


Best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/28/08


With great sadness, I just added the “in memory” to the legendary Bob Bexton of Players who was killed in a cycling accident on July 17th.

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davidkovach said:

7/29/08


Hi everyone,


We got our first investments from real interested backers! Thanks John and Ryan!


Best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/29/08


Just a footnote after a feverish Monday on this…


I have augmented the wording on this site and will continue to adjust the wording and approach to best suit the intentions of this program.


The idea here is this is a real sponsorship program (driven by people who actually really care) with a real marketable identity that meets the specifications required to properly support a team/car in the Indycar series in whole or in part either for end of 2008 season or for 2009.


Any questions, please contact me directly.


Best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/30/08


Some folks have indicated this program and the collective of us forging this idea could align ourselves with a particular cause or charitable organization. We can open this to discussion based on who we end up aligning this program with. Send me an email with thoughts or further ideas on the subject.


This is mutating – but, it is great!


best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/30/08


Hi Contributors, investors and potentials -


As a collective (which is the renaming of the wrapper around this effort) we are open to individuals and even their own businesses being involved. Many of us have commercial interests in the form of private businesses that might otherwise never be able to be part of a real Indycar sponsorship program. So small businesses can gain benefit here unlike anywhere else by way of this program. We can discuss the details as this grows as to how that could benefit each of our businesses. New ideas brought forward can only perpetuate a better environment for Indycar racing on the whole.


all the best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/30/08


Hi everyone,


Each day, I am re-energized on this thing. Especially, when someone who I do not know, who I have never spoken with, but have obviously connected with on some level… with the purpose of this… goes and invests/contributes.


Individuals are obviously saying they want to be part of a program like this and/or want to make Indycar into what we think it should be… not simply what a few mighty organizers of it think it should be.


Thank you John for coming on board. And I will keep this going and work on ramping up the exposure.


Others, I implore upon you, please use these comments to post what you might invest dollar-wise if you see more activity and legitimate support as the days roll on. Or make the leap like others have: and hit the donate/contribute/invest button above!


Thank you -


Best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/31/08


Supposedly, racing journalists have no money, but one has ponied up $100 to this effort:


http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/robin-millers-mailbag-for-july-30//P4/

Edit Comment

davidkovach said:

7/31 Update


Investment total: $1,135

Pledged total: $100

-———————————

total $1,235

Edit Comment

davidkovach said:

7/31/08


Just an update on the sponsorship amount and such. Most teams will do associate sponsorships (currently) from $25k and up. Ideally, my goals are higher here. But, initially felt $125k was interesting enough to become an “associate sponsor” of a team or tie to a particular driver and endorse them. They then bring that sponsorship to a team they might be driving on.


Sponsorship being as sparse as it is in Indycar, operational costs are incredible, and at $125k, it would certainly be interesting to many teams outside of the BIG 3 (AGR included not based on performance, but rather, the size of their current sponsor/supporters).


best -


David

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davidkovach said:

7/31/08


What I have always whined about, is why should all these guys have all the fun? I mean why really should Coyne, Walker, Ganassi, Penske, Kalhoven etc. be deemed to have all the fun behind the scenes in ChampCar or Indycar?


We talk about them, gripe about them, and sorta weirdly put them up on some higher plateau when they aren’t anything special. Well, maybe Penske. He is special. But, frankly, it is crap. What these teams are going to realize is that in a further economic pinch – a consortium of small dearly committed individuals and small businesses involved with their team vs. disguised cigarette money or guys that own wineries and than ditch you when you ask them to ante up… is the way forward. Some have really paid their dues (Coyne) to be there, but otherwise there is no difference between them and us.


So, with that said, I welcome the first female investor to the ISPC. Welcome, Melissa who is in at $50 (pending)!


I don’t know about you, but I think more of us and more of our small businesses should be back in the sport – which way down the line, might even vault one of us or all us into having more of a say. Because that 2009 schedule sucks, and I don’t care if the IRL have contracts to honor. Racing for years has been built on broken promises and contracts left in the dust.


It’s time something new comes into the sport that reflects the goodness of a Bob Bexon or the consideration of a Dan Gurney.


This is it.


Best -


David

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davidkovach said:

8/1/08


Note: I have revised the investment levels to be more considerate of the fact Gerry Forsythe is spending less on auto racing these days.

Edit Comment

davidkovach said:

8/1/08


I know I already said this – but ROBIN MILLER is in for $100!


I know it is a total conflict of interest, but he will be handling all PR for this program and trust me… money talks. This is auto racing, not politics. Uh, ehhhhhh.


Best,


David

Chrome Horn Campaign Coordinator

Edit Comment

davidkovach said:

8/7/08


Hey all – Still at it here, but in a holding pattern waiting to see how little Subway does for Mr. Tracy for this weekend in Kentucky. If they step up then maybe this was just a good/ok idea. Otherwise I will be pushed to carry on for sure and take this up a notch.


sincerely,


David

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Donors (4)

1.  John Dambro
Jul 28
2.  Ryan Saunders
Jul 28
3.  John Wertz
Jul 30
4.  Melissa Houghton
Aug 04
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