Highlighting a unique pairing of entities known for providing exceptional entertainment, officials from HISTORY and Charlotte Motor Speedway announced the May 28 NASCAR Nationwide Series race will be entitled the Top Gear 300.
Considered one of the premiere events on the NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit, the Top Gear 300 will air nationally on ABC at 2:30 p.m. EST on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Terms of the sponsorship entitlement were not disclosed.
“At first glance, pairing a television show with a NASCAR race might seem like a non-traditional sponsorship,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “But this is a perfect fit for our race fans. ‘Top Gear’ is a television program with risk taking behind the wheel and high-performance equipment, just like a NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“HISTORY has some of the best programming on television,” Smith added. “Highlights of their shows will entertain fans throughout the Coca-Cola 600 weekend on the world’s largest high-definition video screen.”
The U.S. version of the award-winning program, “Top Gear” enters its second season tracking the colorful history of the automobile through an offbeat celebration of the art of driving. Featured segments include profiles of super-cars, extreme stunts and challenges, car reviews and celebrity interviews. The series also features the eccentric adventures of its hosts: comedian and car buff Adam Ferrara, champion rally and drift racer Tanner Foust and racing analyst Rutledge Wood.
“HISTORY is thrilled to become an integral part of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s biggest racing weekend and to be the first media brand to use the screen in an entitlement partnership,” said Chris Moseley, senior vice president, marketing, HISTORY. “NASCAR and ‘Top Gear’ are world-renowned. So in terms of a brand synergy and audience reach, the Top Gear 300 could not be a more perfect fit. It allows us to increase awareness of ‘Top Gear’ with a highly targeted consumer audience whose love and appreciation of cars rival our most passionate viewers. It’s a win-win!”
The Top Gear 300 was first run at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1982, the inaugural season for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. That event featured a battle among racing legends Harry Gant and Dale Earnhardt, with Gant taking home the trophy.
Since that first race, the Nationwide Series has been a staple on Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte and has seen some of the biggest stars in NASCAR history visit Victory Lane. In addition to Gant and Earnhardt, legends such as Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip and current superstars including Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards, have secured victories in the event. Kyle Busch and Mark Martin are tied for most Nationwide Series wins all-time at Charlotte Motor Speedway with six each. Busch is the most recent winner of the May 300-miler, with a victory in the 2010 event.
Charlotte Motor Speedway PR
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