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Best Buy to Sponsor No. 19 in 2008
11.09.2007
MINNEAPOLIS - (November 9, 2007) - Best Buy, Inc., announced today it has entered a new affiliation with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The nation's leading electronics retailer will serve as the primary sponsor of driver Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge Avenger in 15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events in 2008, including the 50th running of the "Great American Race," the Daytona 500.
"At Best Buy, we're all about bringing consumers the complete product and service experiences, and that's what we feel we've found with Gillett Evernham Motorsports," said Barry Judge, senior vice president marketing, Best Buy. "With Gillett Evernham Motorsports, not only do we have the focus on performance, but we also have a charismatic fan favorite and proven winner in our driver, Elliott Sadler. We're confident this new relationship will generate excitement and enthusiasm among our employees, as well as our customers." "This sponsorship is a natural fit," said Gillett Evernham Motorsports co-owner, Ray Evernham. "Gillett Evernham Motorsports is known for bringing technology and innovation to its race program, just as Best Buy is recognized for bringing the newest technology in entertainment to its customers."
"At Gillett Evernham Motorsports, we always look to align ourselves with companies at the forefront of their respective industries," said George N. Gillett, Jr., co-owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports. "We're honored to have such a prominent brand supporting our racing program, along with our other outstanding partners."
Since 2000, Gillett Evernham Motorsports has posted 13 wins, 24 poles, 67 top-five and 130 top-10 finishes in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.
Driver Elliott Sadler is also no stranger to Victory Lane, with three Sprint Cup wins, 55 top-10 finishes and seven pole positions to his credit.
"Best Buy is a brand I've believed in and supported for years, so to represent them is honestly a dream come true," said Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Dodge Avenger. "I love all kinds of music and movies, and I've always been a 'gadget guy.' My house, car, boat and even my motor home are all tricked out with stereos, speakers, gaming systems, GPS, flat screens, DVD players, you name it. The employees at the Mooresville (N.C.) Best Buy store already know me by name, but they'll be seeing even more of me now."
To announce the partnership, Best Buy and Gillett Evernham Motorsports held a press conference on Friday morning, Nov. 9, at Phoenix International Raceway, which featured a unique twist on the traditional sponsorship announcement. Instead of representatives just speaking about the new partnership, the relationship was announced through a special video piece that aired on flat-screen TV's placed in front of the media center stage.
