Tasman signs iconic Australian Rum brand in six-figure deal
10/9/2004 12:44 (Press Release) -
Tasman Motorsport is proud to announce on the eve of the Sandown 500 that it has signed award-winning premium Australian distiller Inner Circle Rum to a six-figure deal to become the team’s naming rights sponsor for the remainder of 2004, and continued involvement for the 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series.
The deal will see the #3 Tasman Motorsport Holden Commodore driven by Jason Richards featuring the distinctive Inner Circle Rum logo, and will include an extensive in-store/bottle shop marketing campaign featuring Tasman Motorsport and Richards.
Inner Circle Rum joins Holden’s Australian and New Zealand operations and Fuchs Lubricants as major sponsors which, like Tasman Motorsport itself, have business interests straddling both Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, the Sydney-based team recently announced a strategic partnership with a New Zealand team, Orix Team Racing, and the Inner Circle Rum logo will also be prominently displayed on the cars of drivers Andy Booth and Paul Manuell in the NZ V8 Touring Car Championship.
Tasman Motorsport’s Kevin Murphy said he was delighted to welcome Inner Circle Rum to the team. “This is a great fit for us and a real sign of our intent to become a front-running team – not just in 2005 when we roll out a second car, but for the important and highly publicised races still to come in 2004,” he said.
“Inner Circle Rum is an iconic brand with a long history and we like the idea of being in business with a sponsor who is there for the long haul, as we are.
“Like us, they have relaunched their product into a very competitive market and we’re looking forward to being an active partner in raising their profile in tandem with our own.”
Inner Circle Rum owner Stuart Gilbert said he believed Tasman Motorsport was a competitive team with a strong future. “We like what we know about Tasman Motorsport – like us, they’re a small team taking on the big guys. They’re competitive, have a clean image and enormous potential.”
He said Inner Circle Rum – which has been judged the best rum in the world for each of the last two years – was pleased to be associated with a premium sport such as V8 Supercars.
“Inner Circle Rum is about quality and being the best, and that’s what we believe the V8s represent to motorsport in Australia.”
Meanwhile, Tasman Motorsport has completed a highly successful test day at Oran Park this week in preparation for its biggest test of the year – the Sandown 500 enduro this weekend.
Tasman Motorsport general manager Jon Matthews said the team had completed around 120 laps, with Richards doing about 70 laps and enduro co-driver Fabian Coulthard about 50 as the pair practised the all-important driver changes that are a feature of the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000.
“We’re learned a fair amount today,” Matthews said. “We’re still on a learning curve with this car, but we’ve made some steps forward, especially with spring configurations.
“Also, Fabian has really benefited from racing at the Oran Park round – he’s come out here today and been immediately quicker than his previous test sessions. It’s all looking very positive for Sandown.”
|
|
