Evernham gets foothold on new sponsor
By Ron Lemasters Jr., Special to NASCAR.COM
October 3, 2006
02:18 PM EDT (18:18 GMT)




When you're watching the stars of NASCAR go about their business, how often do you think about their feet?

Gotcha!

Evernham Motorsports thinks about feet, specifically those of its drivers, team members, over-the-wall crew guys and administrators. If the dogs are barkin', you're not 100-percent committed to the business at hand, right?

Airplus Footcare, the innovation leader in footcare solutions, announced recently that it will team up with Evernham as an associate sponsor for the No. 9 Ultimate Chargers Busch Series team for the 2007 season. Kasey Kahne, Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler will drive the car in selected 2007 Busch Series events.

In addition to its associate sponsorship, Airplus officials will provide insoles, socks and other footcare products to Evernham's three-car Nextel Cup program and produce limited-edition packages of their Airplus Insoles.

Additionally, Airplus will leverage its sponsorship through online sweepstakes and in-store promotions at several major retail locations around the county.

You might say that NASCAR is the "sole" of the company's marketing plan.

Airplus has been a strong supporter of NASCAR since first becoming a Busch Series associate sponsor in 2003.

"Our NASCAR sponsorships have rapidly propelled the growth of the Airplus brand," commented Todd Vore, president of Implus. "Consumers relate and react to the sport like nothing else."

Again, it's all about the delivery of the message within specific parameters, and Airplus is no different in recognizing NASCAR's benefit to a corporation.

"We realize that the key to any successful motorsports sponsorship program is a performance-driven race team with highly recognizable personalities," said John Andrews, vice president of marketing for Airplus parent company Implus Footcare, LLC. "Evernham Motorsports is a powerhouse organization that is focused on winning races and championships and we are honored to be a part of the team."


There's a technological advantage to Airplus, and a comfort advantage to the team members.

"Whether at the shop, or at a race, Airplus insoles provide the teams and the fans with the latest in technology and help reduce the stress on feet, knees and back," said Andrews. "We have been extremely pleased with our associations in the sport and look forward to a long future with Evernham Motorsports."

Team members, including those who work on the car, tire specialists, gas runners and crew chiefs, spend a lot of time on their feet at the track. They usually stand on hard concrete or asphalt, and when they're not bending and ducking and squirming underneath the car, there's little chance to take a load off.

Even on race day, pit crews stand around all day waiting for their driver to come in and get service. Then it's about a minute of frantic activity and they're back to standing around waiting for the next pit stop.

That's a generalization: There's always something to do in the pits, but you get the point.

So does Evernham.

"We are certainly pleased to bring on Airplus Footcare as a partner with Evernham Motorsports and our No. 9 Ultimate Chargers team in the Busch Series," said Ray Evernham, President and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. "Our team members are constantly on their feet at the track and around the shop. By utilizing Airplus footwear accessory products, they will be able to enhance comfort throughout the day. It is an exciting partnership for us from both a marketing perspective and assisting with research and development on new products."

That's a real plus for Airplus, too. If you make motorcycles for desert racing, it's a good idea to be located near the desert. If you make footcare products, it's a good idea to have a presence near the activity you've focused on for your marketing awareness plans. Airplus is headquartered in the Research Triangle Park near Raleigh, which gives them plenty of access to Evernham and the rest of the NASCAR community.

I saw that yesterday. Funny thing is I already use them. They are great with a pair of high heels

I hadn't heard of them until now. I might have to try them.