Ameriquest Mortgage to sponsor Busch team for big $$$

UPDATE Ameriquest Mortgage Company, one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, announced today a landmark partnership with Roush Racing to serve as the team’s primary sponsor of four of its drivers in the NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) for the 2006 racing season.

Dubbed the “Ameriquest Dream Team," it will consist of drivers Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards. The partnership includes sponsorship of all four teams throughout the NBS race season – unprecedented in the series’ 24-year history. Through Roush Racing’s manufacturer partnership with Ford Racing, the “Ameriquest Dream Team" drivers will pilot Ford Fusions in all NBS races.

Ameriquest will serve as the primary sponsor for at least two drivers in 26 selected NBS races in 2006. In addition, in two of these events, all four drivers will carry the Ameriquest colors. Those events are: the May 27 event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. and the Ameriquest 300 on September 2 at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The four drivers have combined to win 87-career NBS races, including nine this season, and three NASCAR national series championships.

In addition, Ameriquest, proud sponsor of the American dream, will become the official mortgage company of Roush Racing.

“Ameriquest is thrilled to partner with Roush Racing and its championship-caliber drivers in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2006," said Brian Woods, Chief Marketing Officer, Ameriquest Mortgage Company. “Roush Racing is one of the most respected racing teams in all of NASCAR and has enjoyed a long history of success. This partnership presents an opportunity for our brand to reach NASCAR’s 75 million loyal race fans and strategically communicate our services and our positioning as ‘Proud Sponsor of the American Dream.’"

Ameriquest may activate the “Ameriquest Dream Team" and its primary sponsorship with Roush Racing with a comprehensive marketing communications program on several levels throughout 2006. The program will include: on-line consumer promotions and sweepstakes, dedicated NASCAR broadcast advertising, at-track / off-track mobile marketing, charitable integration, customer hospitality and on-going public relations.

"We are proud to have Ameriquest on board for its unprecedented sponsor program," said Jack Roush," team owner. “Having them as the primary sponsor for Mark, Matt, Greg and Carl's cars will certainly give them the utmost exposure and hopefully put them in victory lane several times throughout the Busch season. On behalf of everyone at Roush Racing, I'd like to welcome the Ameriquest organization to our team."

“We’re excited about being able to partner with Ameriquest and Roush Racing in such a high-profile Busch Series program," said Dan Davis, director, Ford Racing Technology. “All four of our drivers for this program are proven winners, and the quality of this program should ensure that race fans will see Ameriquest Fusions in victory lane plenty of times in 2006. This will help get our NASCAR Fusion program off to a great start in the Busch Series."

11/21/05 Ameriquest Mortgage has signed a one-year deal to become a primary sponsor of Roush Racing’s Busch Series teams, according to Terry Lefton in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The deal, which sources value at $10-12M, “is one of the largest and most comprehensive in Busch Series history," aside from Anheuser-Busch’s title sponsorship of the series. Ameriquest’s list of sponsorships this year included the Super Bowl halftime show, the Rolling Stones’ “A Bigger Bang" tour, an MLB league deal, naming rights to the MLB Rangers’ ballpark, title sponsorship of a Busch Series event in California, MLB and NFL team deals and NHRA league and team deals. Ameriquest CMO Brian Woods said that he “will be more focused with the company’s sponsorships moving forward, trying to accomplish more with fewer deals." But Lefton writes while its “sponsorship budget will drop, Ameriquest’s media spending will continue to escalate." The NHRA deal “has been scrapped in favor of the NASCAR deal." Woods “wants to trim" his 13 MLB team deals, but Ameriquest “hopes to renew" its league-wide MLB sponsorship. Ameriquest will not renew its team deals with the Chargers, Vikings, 49ers, Texans and Jets, “in favor of an NFL television strategy." Last season, Ameriquest “did not advertise on NFL telecasts until the Super Bowl," but this season, the company has bought ads on CBS and ABC telecasts, “leading up to its return as a Super Bowl advertiser" SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL