FORT WORTH, Texas – Track officials have announced that six new sponsor partnerships that range from national brands such as In-N-Out Burger, Universal Technical Institute and Jostens to the notable Texas-based Torchy’s Tacos will be part of the business plan at Texas Motor Speedway for the 2018 racing season.
The announcement was made at the track’s annual Media Day Luncheon held last Wednesday at the Speedway Club.
Here’s a brief look at the new partners:
- Torchy’s Tacos, based in Austin, Texas, with locations throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado, signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement that is highlighted by broad enhancements to a focal fan amenity in the speedway infield. Torchy’s Tacos is making a major investment in remodeling and reinventing the infield restaurant located in front of the infield media center. The company will refurbish and brand both the inside and out of the 5,100-square-foot building, including the patio area, as well as provide all new food offerings to race fans.
- In-N-Out Burger, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., signed a multi-year agreement that will include on-site activation during race weekends, brand visibility and an exterior trackside billboard. The company has 329 locations across California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Texas, including a new restaurant across the street from the speedway.
- Universal Technical Institute, with 12 campuses across the country including one in Irving, Texas, will serve as the entitlement sponsor for Friday Night Drags, the speedway’s six-week summer competition where the public can drag race on pit lane in their personal vehicles. With more than 200,000 graduates in its 52-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. is the nation’s leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs.
- Jostens, the 121-year-old company based in Minneapolis that specializes inclass rings for various high schools and colleges as well as championship rings for sports, agreed to a three-year deal as the entitlement sponsor for the Speedway Club’s traditional Champagne Toast. The JostensChampagne Toast celebrates the two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winners as well as the Verizon IndyCar Series winner at Texas Motor Speedway post-race in the Speedway Club. Jostens will produce the ring that is presented to the Cup and Verizon IndyCar winners at the Champagne Toast in the Speedway Club as well as create the first line of rings for future inductees into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. Starting in 2019, the company also will take over and enhance the production of the speedway’s race trophies, including the iconic boot and hat trophies and the crystal Foyt-Rutherford trophy.
- Ashley HomeStores signed an entitlement sponsor for the pre-race concert prior to April’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. The agreement is locally-based with the Levitz Family, which has been in the furniture industry for nearly a century and founded two of the most well-known furniture retailers in Levitz Furniture and The RoomStore. In 2002, the Levitz family opened Ashley HomeStores of DFW. Since then, the company has expanded to seven stores in DFW, and one in El Paso, and has become one of the top destinations for furniture shopping.
- Outdoor Powersports agreed to a three-year deal as the entitlement sponsor of the Texas Off-Road Ruckus held in conjunction with the Verizon IndyCar Series/NASCAR Camping World Truck Series doubleheader in June. The two-day Outdoor Powersports Texas Off-Road Ruckus, set for June 8-9, will feature racing action from the high-flying Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks as well as an expo and interactive areas for off-road enthusiasts.
TMS officials also announced that that earlier this year the track also signed sponsorship agreements with Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q, 1000bulbs.com, North Texas Trailers, Wells Blue Bunny Ice Cream and Whelen Engineering.
