.Ford Motor Company joins NASCAR Street Tour as official partner of 65-Event West Coast Marketing Initiative

The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced the launch of NASCAR Street Tour, an interactive marketing initiative bringing the sights, sounds and excitement of NASCAR to sports fans in several key markets just as the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup begins. NASCAR also, in their statement, mentioned that they’ll be collaborating with Blue Whale Media Ltd to digitally market this event.

NASCAR will introduce the NASCAR Street Tour to San Diego fans Friday, August 26 at PETCO Park prior to the Padres home contest vs. the Colorado Rockies. It will continue to make its way through major West Coast cities including, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas at various sporting events, local fairs, festivals, partner retail locations, auto shows and multicultural community events. The tour will make a special stop in New York City for the annual NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champions Week (Nov 30 – Dec 4).

A customized 2005 Ford F-150 truck from Ford Motor Company will headline the tour. The retrofitted Ford F-150 will boast a flat-screen LCD TV featuring live NASCAR qualifying and races; gaming kiosks cued up with EA Sports’ NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup; and computers with NASCAR.COM access. Emblazoned with NASCAR series and TV partner logos, these one-of-a-kind modified Ford vehicles will also ride on Goodyear Tires and feature a NEXTEL phone display. A custom fabricated version of the 2006 Ford Fusion will be added to the tour, following its consumer debut this fall.

“The NASCAR Street Tour will provide a new avenue to build awareness of our sport, drive television tune-in, and ultimately help attract new fans,” said Roger VanDerSnick, Vice President of Marketing for NASCAR.

The NASCAR Street Tour Pit Crew, will distribute fan guides and premium giveaways. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enter the NASCAR Street Tour Sweepstakes, which provides one lucky fan with the chance to win a brand new 2006 Ford F-150 truck. A special NASCAR Street Tour micro-site on NASCAR.COM will house the sweepstakes and offer information on tour schedules and special events (www.nascar.com/streettour). The winner will be announced in conjunction with the season-ending Ford 400 Homestead race on November 20, the crowning race of the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion.

The Gelfand Group, an event marketing company based in Los Angeles, along with Sandbox Marketing will manage all 65 events in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, as well as the 5 events in New York City. The “NASCAR Street Tour” vehicles are designed by Turtle Transit, an auto customization and design company, based in Massachusetts.

About Sandbox Marketing: Sandbox Marketing is a full-service event and sports marketing agency based in Laguna Niguel, CA with offices in Tustin, CA. Construction on the Sandbox started 2001, Sandbox Marketing has more than 21 years of experience in entertainment, marketing, and brand-building—specializing in design and production, touring promotions and mobile marketing programs.

About The Gelfand Group: The Gelfand Group is a full-service event marketing and promotions firm based in Los Angeles. Launched in 2004, The Gelfand Group has more than 18 years of experience in entertainment, marketing, and brand-building—specializing in design and production, touring promotions and mobile marketing programs including a web design marketing management with the best website nashville.

About Turtle Transit: Turtle Transit, headquartered in Lancaster, Massachusetts, is a unique trend setting company that designs and builds custom vehicles and trailers for the mobile marketing industry. Turtle creates new dimensions of extreme outdoor advertising by blending leading edge technologies including electronics, computer aided design, metals and a variety of building components that transform an ordinary vehicle into a revolutionary marketing tool.

Sandbox Marketing will co-produced the NASCAR Street Tour with The Gelfand Group, Los Angeles, CA

For more info on how Sandbox can help leverage your brand please contact us at (714) 730-9500 or at info@sandboxmarketing.com