Bombardier Jumps Aboard

[macdaddy]

BOMBARDIER SKY JET SIGNS PARTNERSHIP DEAL WITH CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES

From CART.com...

INDIANAPOLIS (February 18, 2003) - Officials from Champ Car announced today that Bombardier Skyjet has signed on as the "Preferred Private Aviation Solution" of Champ Car and the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford.

"Private aviation is an important need for many members of the busy Champ Car community and Bombardier Skyjet will play a strategically important role," said Bombardier Skyjet Director of Marketing Angela Ferragamo. "The Champ Car World Series, with its venues not only in the United States, but also in Canada, Mexico, England, Germany and Australia, is appealing to Bombardier as a world-leading company in business aviation and transportation. We also plan to play host to a number of customers at many of these exciting venues. In addition, Bombardier Skyjet will provide tailored Premier Fleet block hour jet membership packages exclusively for the Champ Car community, and will host and sponsor Champ Car's Business to Business forums."

The new Bombardier Skyjet Premier Fleet jet membership program offers blocks of flying time with a guaranteed rate and free repositioning. It is the only jet membership program to offer credit toward fractional or whole aircraft ownership.

"This new relationship with Bombardier Skyjet adds new depth to the Champ Car World Series," said Champ Car Vice President of Marketing Steve Fusek. "We are happy to welcome Bombardier into our ever growing family of blue-chip companies that recognize the benefits of our unique marketing platform. They are a natural fit with our business and their line of customized aviation solutions will assist us in meeting the domestic and international travel needs of Champ Car personnel and other valued business associates."


Bombardier is a huge company. Attracting corporations like this can only be a good thing, no? And by providing raceday hospitality to their customers, even more companies will become exposed to the series. And by providing travel to race teams, I'm sure this will help budgets. At least to some small extent.

All-in-all, it's a good thing!

[TheDJ]

Yep, this is big... and isn't Bombardier one of the major IRL sponsors... especially for the first TMS race and the Indy 500... for Indy, the pole award and the Pagoda sponsor?!

I believe IRL uses their personal recreation department for sponsorship, now CART with the skyjet... hmmm...

This is big news...

[The Snout]

They've tried the rest, now try the best.

[Liz]

So what is Bombardier actually going to DO for us?

[Lee Janotta]

Little "Official Charter Flight Service of the BPTCCWSPBY" stickers on their planes and corporate stationary?

Every little bit helps, especially in the corporate world.

[Russfeld]

Color me underwhelmed. Its like something out of NASCAR where the US Army is the "preferred branch of the US military by NASCAR"

It seems like they're getting more out of it than we are, if we're getting anything. Preferred private transportation provider? Who else but about 20-25 people in CART are going to be excited about this?

[Liz]

If that's all we get, I have to agree.

[The Snout]

Well we are only guessing. But I'll say this, if a couple of free private jet trips to events for top management of say a potential engine manufacturer or big sponsor is all we get out of it, well that could make it worth a couple of stickers on the side of a car or 3. Sending a private jet to pick someone up sure doesn't give the feeling to that person that the series is going out of business.

[Jay]

meh....whatever. I suppose it's better that they are involved in some way than they are not involved at all. It's not costing Cart anything... and who knows maybe they'll increase their presence at some point.

[Russfeld]

Dont you think the engine mfgs have their own private jets? Or that CART does? Im just not seeing the point of this 'sponsorship' really. Still, its not as big a screwing as the Fedex deal so hey.

[Jay]

I'm not really sure if 'sponsorship' is the right word... maybe 'partnership' would be better. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours thing. It doesn't strike me as anything big, but if they're going to provide a few jets, help out with the business-to-business forums and hopefully attract more businesses into the Cart circle, it's probably a good thing.

[DNQ]

Come on people...maybe it's not a huge deal, but the important thing is that it's a new company sponsoring Champ Car World Series - and that can only be a good thing. Be happy folks, shows that the series IS healthy

[Tailwind]

The aircraft divisions of Bombardier (Learjet, de Havilland, Canadair, and Shorts Brothers) have had a difficult time over the last year. Many people have been laid off. The Wichita production plant (Learjet) has been practically shut down since just before Christmas. There has been talk in the papers that Bombardier may shut down the Wichita plant. Sales have been down in the recreational vehicle division (Seadoo and Skidoo) has had slumping sales for the past three years. FlexJet, the fractional ownership division, has slumped this past year. In light of that, I can’t see Bombardier SkyJet putting substantial money into the Champ Car World Series. However, any support is welcome. It seems to me that Bombardier and the Learjet division used to be a sponsor for Kelly racing in the IRL. I wonder if they will be reducing their activity in the IRL. Perhaps they see the international image of CART as fitting in better with their corporate marketing strategy.

[f1manoz]

I simply take it as another announcement that CART has hooked up with another sponsor/partner, which can only mean good things for the series.

[KC]

I am sure that Bombardier had to pay for the rights to use their name in conjunction with CART. This also allows CART to network with the multitudes of business comtacts and company like Bombardier surey has. If CART can get another sponsor from this association it helps to get the ball rolling.

[macdaddy]

You've got to plant the seed before it can grow. Like I say, after the offseason we've had, good news is always nice.

Here's another deal CART's made...


INDIANAPOLIS (February 19, 2003) - Champ Car announced today a partnership with Stefanucci & Turner (S&T) that will associate the Sunset Beach, California-based company with the series as a third-party sales agency effective immediately for the upcoming 2003 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season.

In addition to assisting with overall sales for the series, S&T- formerly Sports Consultants International- will support sales efforts for the Champ Car World Series at overseas events in Europe as well as the CART Toyota Atlantic Championship.

Since its inception as the marketing agency for the Long Beach Grand Prix, the company handles a variety of regional, national and international projects ranging from motorsports to soccer and from food and music festivals to the arts.

"We are pleased to have Stefanucci & Turner join Champ Car along with our top developmental series, the Toyota Atlantic Championship," said Champ Car Vice President of Marketing Steve Fusek. "Mr. Turner brings years of experience and motorsports knowledge to our sales efforts and we look forward to this partnership with his company. Exposure for our back-to-back European dates in England and Germany is continually increasing and this announcement furthers that effort."

Turner has an extensive background in developing and selling major sponsorship programs. While working with Philip Morris Inc., he was responsible for the development and implementation of the Marlboro's $10 million Champ Car program. He was also responsible for the design and acquisition of financing for the $45 million Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado and acted as General Manager for the first two years of the track's operation. Turner is currently involved as a consultant to the organizers of a series of motorsport events in China.

[The Snout]

Dont you think the engine mfgs have their own private jets? Or that CART does? Im just not seeing the point of this 'sponsorship' really. Still, its not as big a screwing as the Fedex deal so hey.

Well none of us know the details so I guess it's hard to see the point. Still stand by what I said, sponsors etc. perception of the health of the series is important and trimmings like this don't hurt.