MSNBC: It's official: Lucas Oil StadiumThere has been a recent announcement that the new stadium in Indianapolis Indiana will bear the name 'Lucas Oil Stadium'. This would seem to be a major win for the NHRA as well. Free advertising for it's affiliation with Lucas Oil. Also for the NHRA Lucas Oils sponsorship of an NFL Stadium is a definite climb up the credibility ladder as a sport of recognition.
|  MSNBC: It's official: Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis Star: Let's warm up to Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil could not have chosen a better venue to buy the naming rights to brand its catalog of lubricants, primarily aimed at the racing industry and motorsport enthusiasts. Sure Indianapolis has a professional football and basketball team but racing is huge in the city. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the undisputed king in the city when it comes to sports venues. Indianapolis Raceway Park is not slouch on the landscape because it also host the oldest and prestigious drag race in the world, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but also a Nascar Busch Series event. So it makes perfect sense that a racing oil company would want to market and brand it products on a non-racing venue in a city that has embraced the racing culture. Indy is a much better choice than say, San Diego, Pittsburgh or Baltimore.
The overall deal calls for Lucas Oil to pay over $120 million for the naming rights for the next 20 years starting in 2008. The stadium will be the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, NCAA men’s and women’s Final Fours and other major sporting events. This increased exposure will not only help Lucas Oil grown, but the automatic association with the NHRA will be an added bonus. Lucas Oil is not only the title sponsor of the NHRA’s sportsman series, but also is the primary sponsor of a top fuel dragster in the NHRA’s POWERade Drag Racing Series. The driver of that rail? Morgan Lucas, the son of Forrest and Charlotte Lucas who own the company. Their commitment to drag racing could not be more apparent than when they parked Morgan’s dragster at the press conference.
When a major stadium carries the name of a corporation, TV announcers and fans have to use the corporate moniker when referring to the location. So with expected mentions of 'Lucas Oil Stadium' coming across your TV sets on Monday Night Football or during the Final Four, you will invariably think drag racing. That can only help bolster the NHRA's image as a byproduct. Maybe the NHRA brass will give the folks at Lucas a price break on their sponsorships as a thank you. I doubt it too.
Story at http://www.msnbc.com
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