For immediate release, NASCAR (Nov. 2, 2009)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The race is on for fans to claim tickets to attend the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas – a NASCAR first – and the checkered flag isn’t far away for some of those opportunities.
This year’s awards ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4 at the Wynn Las Vegas, marks the first time in the sport’s history that fans will join drivers, team owners and industry leaders in celebrating the NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.
Approximately 300 tickets are available for fans, tracks, NASCAR partners and top-12 drivers and teams are distributing them through a variety of promotions.
Thus far, 14 track operators, plus several NASCAR partners and top-12 drivers are participating in the 2009 fan ticket initiative.
The tracks include Daytona International Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Kansas Speedway.
Participating NASCAR partners, to date, are Coors Light, Bank of America, Kellogg’s, Ford, Ask.com and The NASCAR Foundation.
Participating drivers, to date, are Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin.
Several fans already have scored some of the coveted tickets, thanks to earlier contests and charitable good works:
— During an Oct. 21 event for Talladega Superspeedway, Kurt Busch drew the winning names of two Las Vegas-based, Talladega season-ticket-holders, then called them with the good news.
— During the week of Oct. 5-9, reigning and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson auctioned off two sets of two tickets to this year’s awards ceremony as part of a San Diego, Calif., fundraising event for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.
— Thanks to the Kellogg’s VIP Racing Awards Experience Sweepstakes, which ended recently, two grand-prize winners are receiving three-night accommodations in Las Vegas, $1,000 spending money and two tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony.
Multiple ticket opportunities still exist, however. So sharpen a pencil, prime your keyboard and peruse the list below. One big plus: Track season-ticket-holders already may be entered in their track’s particular contest or promotion:
— Bristol Motor Speedway will give four awards ceremony tickets to a selected fan who has attended every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol since the track’s 1961 opening (open to current ticket-holders).
— Daytona International Speedway is using two different promotions involving two sets of two tickets. Fans should visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com to register for both random drawings.
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway also is using two promotions involving two sets of two tickets. One is well on its way; interested fans were to visit IMS’s administrative lobby on Oct. 14 to register to win. For the second promotion, fans should visit the track’s web site, www.brickyard.com, to complete an online registration form. Note: You can’t win both promotions.
— Infineon Raceway is hosting a sealed bid auction for two awards ceremony tickets. The auction will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities. Visit www.infineonraceway.com for more information.
— Kansas Speedway will use four tickets as part of an enter-to-win contest. Each fan winner will receive two tickets, plus spending money, airfare and hotel. Visit www.racintoday.com for more information.
— Las Vegas Motor Speedway will use four tickets for its promotion. Visit www.lvms.com for more information.
— Lowe’s Motor Speedway will use four tickets as a Speedway Club Members auction item, with proceeds benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities. Visit www.lowesmotorspeedway.com for more information.
— Michigan International Speedway’s two tickets will be distributed via a drawing. Included is a trip to Las Vegas. Season-ticket-holders who renew are automatically entered in the drawing. Visit www.mispeedway.com for more information.
— New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s promotion was a part of its ongoing “FansFirst” initiative. Anyone who purchased tickets for the Sylvania 300 on Sept. 20 was eligible to win a trip to Las Vegas – airfare, lodging, $1,000 in spending money and two tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony.
— Phoenix International Raceway is using two fan tickets as part of a ticket-purchase promotion. Visit www.phoenixraceway.com for more information.
— Richmond International Raceway will reward one fan with two tickets, but if you want their seats, be prepared to do a little work. Fans must submit a video describing why they should be selected as Richmond’s Fan Reporter in Las Vegas, plus include their most memorable moment at the track. Visit www.rir.com for more information.
— Texas Motor Speedway is using two pairs of two tickets in separate promotions. One pair will be part of a live auction with proceeds benefitting the Texas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. Fans must register for a chance to win the other pair of tickets. Visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com for more information.
— Watkins Glen International is using a pair of tickets to reward a longtime fan of the track. Along with tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, the winner will receive a trip to Las Vegas, which includes airfare, lodging and rental car expenses. Visit www.theglen.com for more information.
Along with tracks, the following drivers and team are pitching in to help fans attend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony:
— Kurt Busch will auction off two fan packages during his charity golf tournament on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. Both packages include two tickets to the awards ceremony and a meet-and-greet with Kurt. Visit www.kurtbusch.com/foundation for more information.
— Greg Biffle is giving away a total of four fan tickets to the awards ceremony. He’ll give away two tickets during his weekly internet radio show, “Straight Talk With The Biff.” Fans are encouraged to call and tell Greg why they’re his biggest supporters. He’ll use the other two awards ceremony tickets as part of an auction to raise funds for the Greg Biffle Foundation. Visit www.gregbiffle.com for more information on both contests.
— Penske – Contest involving Las Vegas-based Ferrari dealership.
Coors Light, Bank of America, The NASCAR Foundation, Ask.com and Ford all are sponsoring fan-ticket programs for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. Visit those entities’ web sites for more information:
— Coors Light (Brookshire’s Food &Pharmacy) – Two tickets awarded as part of the company’s retail program around the Dickies 500 race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
— Ford “I’m Driving One” Online Sweepstakes – One grand-prize winner (and one guest) receives a 2010 Ford Taurus, plus an Ultimate NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week Experience, including an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas, two tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, and special recognition during the NASCAR After the Lap presented by Tissot program. Visit www.imdrivingone.com for more information.
— Bank of America (NASCAR RacePoints®) – Two Champion’s Week VIP packages were made available for redemption that included tickets and access to the awards ceremony. Visit http://www.nascarracepoints.com for more information on the NASCAR RacePoints program.
— Ask.com NASCAR Trivia Challenge – Two tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony to the winner of the Ask.com NASCAR Trivia Challenge
— The NASCAR Foundation – Ten tickets will be auctioned as part of the Foundation’s Champion’s Week package fundraiser. The auction is from Nov. 9-23 and will be hosted on NASCAR.COM. Visit www.NASCAR.COM/foundation for more information.
Last April, NASCAR made the decision to move the awards ceremony to Las Vegas after holding the prestigious event in New York City for the past 27 years. After considering several options for the 2009 awards ceremony, NASCAR formed a partnership with Las Vegas Events, with Las Vegas becoming the “Official Host City of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week.”
In coming weeks there will be additional announcements about the events planned for “Champion’s Week” in Las Vegas and other fan event opportunities.
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